The Meek Shall NOT Inherit the Earth
by Dethklok
Summary: This fic begins in the aftermath of the Third Angel, up to End of Evangelion. All characters are the same except Shinji, who has changed in his time away from his father. Forgive the typos and please review.
1. Pilot's Interview

_This is an AU Evangelion story taking place right after Shinji is called to Tokyo-3 and battles the Third Angel in the first episode. The only character who truly will be different is Shinji. Please Enjoy and Review._

The automated door to the lab opened, and the Third Child walked in and took a seat. The look in his eye could not be accurately described as boredom. It seemed as if he was going through the motions, performing some kind of obligation. How would she approach this? The Third Child was _his_ son, after all. Just begin, and move along from there.

The Third Child looked up and focused as a tall woman in a lab coat approache him from her chair and held out her hand. "I'm Ritsuko Akagi, head of Life Sciences and Stratgic Defense Initatives here at NERV."

He looked at her for a moment. He had the same penetrating stare his father had, the one that made you feel somehow naked and ashamed of yourself. But those glasses his father wore seemed to diminish that effect, make it somewhat manageable. The Third Chile...Shinji, did not. For several seconds, he continued to examine her. Finally he stood up and took her hand with surprising strength.

"Shinji Ikari." he said, a slight rasp in his voice. Why was that? She suddenly remembered his profile. She had spent the last week before the Third Child was supposed to arrive studying his data. He had been home schooled in Osaka by his aunt and uncle for most of his life. He probably spoke to them the most, and was not used to talking to others outside his immediate family. But he didn't seem shy, which was often happened with home schooled children. Looking into his eyes, there was this..._intensity _in them. Similar to his father, but somehow different.

"This way, please." she motioned towards a nearby door that led to her office. Shinji followed her, and took a seat in a chair near the window. He looked outside at the Geofront, saying nothing. Ritsuko opened a cabinet near her desk and pulled out a computerized device, and a wireless biomonitor. She placed the device, a medical bioscanner, on a nearby table and activated it. It hummed with power, and began a test cycle of it's diagnostic and monitoring programs.

Shinji turned around as Ritsuko tapped him on the shoulder. She handed him the biomonitor. "Would you mind putting this on? I will be interviewing you, and I will need to monitor your reactions to certain stimuli."

"You a shrink?" he asked. "I'm not mad or anything, I just want to know."

"Yes. I'm a certified therapist. My other duties take precedent, but I am responsible for interviewing propective EVA pilots when they arise."

"_Prospective_ EVA pilots?" Shinji asked, a trace of amusement in his voice. "It seemed like I was your only pilot yesterday, when I fought...what was it those techs called it? The Third Angel."

A slight trace of anger crossed Ritsuko's mind. _He seems as arrogant as his father..._

Shinji shifted down and looked into her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, Doctor." That snapped her back to reality. "You're thinking I'm as arrogant as my father, I am quick to dismiss and use people, like he is." The utter look of surprise betrayed her for a moment. "It wasn't so hard to figure out. Although he is a stranger to me, I feel as if I know my father by the reactions he seems to inspire in others."

"But let's move on, Doctor Akagi." he continued. Shinji removed his jacket and rolled up one of his shirt sleeves, revealing quite a muscular arm for a 14 year old. He attached the biomonitor and turned it on, a low _hum_ coming off of it.

The boy was quick. At least that was something to be grateful for. And he knew who his father was, even if he seemed too quick in his judgements of the man.

Dr. Akagi took a seat across from Shinji and detached two small microphones from the bioscanner unit. She handed one to Shinji, and he attached it to his shirt collar, and she did the same. She tapped it to get a sound reading an began.

"This is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, Head of NERV Life Sciences and Strategic Defense Initatives. This is a prospective EVA pilot interview for Shinji Ikari, codenamed the Third Child. Age 14. The date is May 2, 2015, at 1525 hours. Recording is active."

"Now what?" Shinji asked. "You have a list of questions?"

"No lists." Ritsuko said. "We just talk, and see where the conversation takes us, alright?"

"Where do we start, then?" a tone of irritation, cleverly hidden, was in his voice.

"Let's talk about yesterday."

Shinji raised an eyebrow momentarily. "Yesterday. May 1st was a strange day." he said, a slight look of reminiscence on his face.

"Why strange?"

"What other way can I describe it? I'm called to this city by a father I barely remember, who tells me that I could be the last hope for humanity. When I refuse to help him, he gets ready for send a girl who looks like she's about to fall apart in my place. I would consider that strange."

"Why did you initially refuse to help him?"

There was a lost look in the Third Child's eyes for a moment. "I don't know, exactly. Instinct? But then it came to me that to just turn him down out of hand, because of the past...it would have been petty and vindictive."

_Petty? Vindictive? _Ritsuko's mind stopped for a moment, collecting this. She never would have imagined that _anyone_ named Ikari would admit to being petty and vindictive. She had assumed that it just wasn't in their genetic makeup.

"You said your father getting ready to send someone else in your place also moved you to action. Did you _pity_ her?" Somehow, those words felt like poison to her. Again, Rei and her safety was behind the reason an Ikari did anything. It was beyond maddening. One could say that it was insulting.

"No...it was not pity. You know what responsibility is? I only realized that seeing that girl get wheeled out and prepared to fight. Responsibility is sometimes doing things you hate, or are intolerable to you, but that are necessary. It would have been wrong for my father to hurt her because I wanted to hurt him by saying no."

_Was the son truly different from the father?_ His answers confused her, but they seemed genuine. That sounded new to her. The Commander rarely was genuine about anything.

"You want to hurt your father?"

Something in Shinji seemed to..._switch _at that question. His eyes, which had been clear and focused on her for the past forty minutes, became unfocused and distracted. He began cracking his knickles in a rapid, nervous fashion. A _beeping_ sound was coming from the biomonitor. From its insistent chime, Ritsuko could tell that Shinji's heartrate had jumped at least twice. His synapses were firing at rapid speed. He physically looked as if he was struggling to keep his composure. Finally the _beeping_ stopped, and Shinji seemed to even out.

Who knew that getting the Third Child to actually react to something would have been so simple? Ritsuko was actually surprised that his reaction was so strong, so noticable. What kind of man was the Commander, to produce such a reaction in a son that was essentially a stranger to him?

"I'm sorry about that," he said conversationally. "Thinking about my father...old feelings always come up to the surface, even if I don't want them to."

"Does that happen often?"

Shinji's head snapped back up and looked at her. This time, his look was not one of disinterested analysis, but of anger. She could see a raging fire behind his eyes, something not in control. It did not seem to be directly aimed at her. Was someone like this really suited to pilot? So...mercurial? One moment cool, collected, and the next a raging monster, ready to strike out?

"Have you...have you ever felt so negatively, hated so much, that the hatred, the venom you felt began to turn against you? become poison in your veins? For the longest time, after my father sent me to live with his brother and his wife in Osaka, I felt that way towards him. He wrote me off, made me a nonperson, but I was still alive... I still had to function, feeling that way about myself. It was horrible, and it caused problems."

"What kind of problems?"

"I got into fights with people at school over bullshit, really. I was becoming really good in martial arts at the time, and I put a couple people in the hospital. I was fighting with my aunt and uncle over little things. I was just feeling really blue most of the time."

"What changed?"

"One day I got into an argument with them over something. I don't remember what. In the heat of the moment, I said to my uncle that he should'nt have children, because he was like his brother, and would leave them. I don't know why I said that."

"What did he do?"

"What did he do? He beat the living shit out of me. I was eight, and he beat the shit out of me. Broke my arm. I think at the time, I was really hurting, and what he did didn't really matter."

_Didn't really matter_? Ritsuko was floored that he seemed so blase about what happened.

"I spent a week in bed, and a few weeks with my arm in a sling. Soon after, they both left their jobs and devoted their time to raising me. At first I was confused. How could they still want me around after what I said and what happened? I eventually understod that when you're swirling around the drain, like I was, the people who care enough about you will save you, even if it hurts."

Shinji cracked his neck and got up out of the chair. He had been talking for over two hours. He removed the biomonitor and placed it on Ritsuko's desk.

"I'm done for now. I can't talk any more. Can we continue this another time?" he said, fatigue in his voice.

Ritsuko stood up. "We're actually done. I have everything I need."

"Whatever. I agreed to stay with Captain Katsuragi. You have any idea how she is to live with?"

"I think that is something you should find out for yourself." Ritsuko said. She put out her hand. Shinji shook it, and left.

After the door closed, Ritsuko locked it. She then walked to a bookshelf in the corner of her office and pulled out a micro-samera from a secure spot. It had recorded the entire session. It would be very useful uin compiling her report for the Commander. How had the son be so different from his father? She made a notation to run background searches on Shinji Ikari's aunt and uncle living in Osaka. Whatever influence they may have had would need to be determined as to how it would affect the Third Child coming back into contact with his father again.

* * *

The Commander reviewed the report on the Third Child. He closed the folder. "Your report in this case is unusually short and concise, Doctor." 

"Shinji Ikari, in my determination, is mentally fit to be an EVA pilot. Whatever... earlier instabilities may have been present in his life previously do not factor into his present psychological condition. The boy is focused, and stronger perhaps than we know. He can be quite an asset to the organization."

"Let us hope that the boy is strong enough to follow orders, doctor. Or blood relation or not, he will be replaced. You mentioned in your report that _I_ factor significantly into his present psychological makeup. I sense an accusation somewhare, Doctor." His voice was incredibly even and businesslike.

"What I mean sir," Ritsuko said, trying to reclaim the situation before it fell against her. "For good or for ill, Shinji Ikari's present state, his experiences, who he is, much of that stems from you. during the interview, I noticed a severe reaction when you came up. Eventually, that will have to be dealt with and resolved, or he may turn against us, you, in particular."

Gendo Ikari turned his chair away from her, and now looked out the window. This was a signal he was finished with her. "Your observations are noted, Doctor. Good day."

After the Doctor left, a side door in the Commander's office opened, and a middle-aged man in a dark uniform walked out and sat before the Commander.

"Your opinions, Fuyutsuki?"

The old man chuckled. _"Earlier instabilities_... The good Doctor Akagi has a way with words. In regards to your son, it is too early to tell. It is a pity you decided not to raise him. There is something in him...it will not break. Not even for you. Perhaps _especially_ not for you. I viewed the recording Akagi made of her session with the Third Child. You seem to be largely the root of his anger. Akagi wrote that he supresses that anger often, and as such, one day it may grow into something out of control."

"If that day ever comes, I will deal with my son, and initiate the conclusion of all we have worked towards. Perhaps he will then understand why he was sacrificed, and what future I was working towards."

"Perhaps."


	2. Roomates

The car ride leaving NERV was quiet. Normally, any passenger traveling with Captain Katuragi would have been extremely worried, or would have at least commented on the fact that she drove as if traffic laws were nonexistent. Shinji did not. After he had been discharged from NERV's medical wing, he collected his belongings and loaded them into the trunk of her car, then he loaded himself.

The idea of him living with her still had to adjust in her mind. After he had gotten dressed, the subject of where he would live while he was in Tokyo-3 came up. Half-seriously, Misato had suggested that he might want to live with his father. That idea quickly evaporated when Shinji had given her a look and asked "Are you serious?" in a suprisingly icy tone. He had said he would rather be by himself than have to live with the Commander. This was somewhat off-putting, until she remembered reading in Shinji's psych report that he seemed highly resistant to any contact beyond what was absolutely necessary with his father. But when Misato suggested that he live with her, as she wouldn't feel right leaving him alone, he had warmed up considerably, and became personable again.

But something still bothered her. He was polite to a fault, and she could sense that if he opened up, he could make quite an impression, but he deliberately seemed to be at arm's length. His psych report had listed all sorts of psychobabble about _ "The subject possesses high emotional values, within acceptable levels. The only topic that seems to provoke an immediate, and at times violent reaction, is any reinforcement of the relationship of the subject to his father, Commander Ikari. Further analysis will have to be initiated in order to determine depths of psychosis regarding this."_

Perhaps all he needed was some time. She did work for his father, so maybe he felt he couldn't trust her. She would have to change that.

Misato's blue sports car pulled up in front of an apartment complex close to the downtown district. "This is it." she said, pulling into a parking space and shutting off the engine.

"One thing," Shinji said, stretching out in the backseat. "I made a call before we left NERV and had some more of my thiungs sent to your address. Clothes, mostly. They should be coming later tonight or sometime tomorrow." he got out of the car and Misato popped the trunk, allowing him to take his duffel bag out.

As they were walking to the door, Shinji stopped and tapped Misato.

"I'd like to apologize."

"For what?"

"For being short with you earlier. When it comes to my father, I thought my feelings toward him had been resolved. Obviously, they haven't. I don't know why I feel so strongly about him, but I do. You can't pick who you work for, right? Friends?" he put out his hand.

"Al-Alright. I'd like that. After all, we are going to be living together. Friends." They shook hands. Shinji seemed...not so cold anymore. More relaxed.

Misato opened the door and turned on the hallway light. "Welcome to my home." she stepped back and let Shinji in.

There were beer cans all over the place. Unopened mail and old newspapers everywhere. Dirty dishes. "This is a home?" he joked.

"Sorry about the mess. I don't have a lot of guests over."

Shinji shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Let me put my bags down, and I'll help you clean up."

"Your room is the second one down the hall."

"Thanks." Shinji began stepping over piles of Yebisu beer cans, crunching them underfoot.

* * *

After several hours of cleaning, scrubbing, and sweeping, Misato's apartment looked livable again. "Haven't seen the old place this clean in months. You're a miracle worker." 

"It wasn't hard. The worst part was collecting all of your beer cans. How can one person drink that much all the time?"

Misato laughed. "Don't criticise. Yesterday, we fought a giant space monster. If that isn't a reason to get drunk, I don't know what is."

Shinji laughed in agreement. Then his face became serious. "I-I can't remember a lot of what happened when I fought that Angel, Misato. I remember engaging it, and it did something to my arm. It felt like it broke my wrist. Things seemed to speed up after that. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital, and I'm being congratulated for destroying the Third Angel. How exactly I did that, is a mystery to me."

Misato turned away from him and faced the open kitchen window. "You're right. The Third Angel did break the EVA's wrist. It used some sort of high-energy blade which burned through the protective armor. Do you remember me telling you over the comlink that you were synched with the EVA at over 40 percent?"

"Yeah. You told me that my synch level was high enough for me to be able to move the EVA. It was like moving a muscle, getting it to move. The connection felt kind of dead at first, but opened up the more I tried."

"It's a two way street, Shinji. You can move the EVA like you would your own body, but if it is hurt, you will be hurt too, to some extent. When we pulled you out of the Entry Plug, you had first degree burns on your wrist. Luckily, we were able to treat it and there's no lasting damage."

Shinji looked at his wrist. the flesh did look a little red, and it had felt a little off for a few hours. A two way street indeed...

"You should get to bed." Misato said, the cheer back in her voice. "You start school tomorrow. No more home schooling for you!"

"That should be interesting..." Shinji said. "Where can I put dirty clothes?" he asked, taking off his shirt. Underneath, he wore a black tank top, and wore a set of military dogtags.

Misato pointed to a hamper in the hallway.

"If you want, I'll keep the place clean for you. It doesn't seem to be your gift."

Misato pulled out a sixpack out of the fridge and popped one. "Can you cook too? I don't have that gift either."

"I cook, I clean, and I pilot giant robots."

Misato tilted her head, adjusting to her rising alcohol levels. "Cool." she burped. Shinji headed out of the kitchen.

"Wait." Misato said. "Can I see those dogtags?' Shinji took them off and handed them to her.

Closer examination revealed the names _Golgo 13_ on one of the tags, and _Queen Bee_ on the other. Why did those names sound vaguely familiar to her?

"Who gave these to you?"

"My aunt and uncle did, for my birthday a couple years ago."

"Your aunt and uncle...they good people?"

Misato was actually suprised how much Shinji's face lit up. "The best. Goodnight."

He put the dogtags back on and headed off to his room, sliding the door closed.

Misato downed another beer. _Golgo 13...Queen Bee...why does that sound familiar?_


	3. Wish I was a pilot!

The sizzling sound of meat frying on a pan was motivation enough to ger Misato out of bed. She had lived on beef ramen and takeout for the last several months, and a home cooked meal seemed in order. She slowly got to her feet and stumbled into the kitchen.

Hot links and eggs were coming along nicely in one of Misato's skillet pans, and coffee was in a pot, nice and hot.

Shinji had his back to her and was dressed, a white shirt and black slacks, minding the food. He stepped away from the stove and opened a cabinet, taking out a tin of sardines. he peeled it open and emptied it over a small plate. He then handed the plate to _something_ standing next to him, about waist height. There was a loud, contented WARK! saound, followed by waddling and the sounds of talons clicking on kitchen tiles. A small door on a refidgeration unit about seven feet high and five feet wide opened and closed a second later.

"Well at least he's polite." Shinji said, before going back to the stove.

Misato leaned against his shoulder. "Oh good! You can make Western style food." After Misato had come back from Germany a few years ago, she hadn't had a lot of chances to eat that kind of food anymore.

"It's about all I can cook." Shinji said, turning off the stove and serving the food. "I learned how to cook from my aunt. She was from France, and stuff like this are all she knows how to make, so that's all _I _know how to make."

Misato pulled out a beer from the fridge and popped it. "France, huh? What was she doing living in Osaka?"

"Several years before I came to live with them, my uncle met my aunt while he was abroad. She came back with him and they were married by the time I came to live with them."

One beer down. "Oh. You excited for your first day of school?"

Shinji began eating. "I guess. Haven't been with kids my own age in a while. Might be fun. One question. What's the story with that penguin? I go take a bath and he busts in and starts screeching at me for taking too long. Kinda freaked me out."

Misato smiled. "Pen Pen? He's a warm water penguin. He's cool. I used to work at a genetic testing center, and after it closed down, many of the animals were without anyplace to go. I kind of adopted him. I don't know what this place would be without him."

Shinji raised his coffee to her. "Misato Katuragi, the humanitatian, the lover of animals."

She chuckled. "Get your ass out of here. School is starting in twenty minutes."

* * *

The thing that bothered Shinji the most about going back to a public school was the noise. Dozens of teenagers talking, screeching, yelling about things that he had no interest in. It was maddening. Keeping his concentration was an effort, and he would have to get used to that. 

When he had been living in Osaka, he had lived on an estate outside the city. His aunt and uncle, due to their previous occupations, had enough money to live like kings for the rest of their lives. The decision to home school Shinji had not been an easy one. It was not a manner of academics, as both Samanosuke Rokubungi and his wife could have been considered geniuses in any given field. But at the time, Shinji's extreme anger problems barred him from a public school. Through much time and effort however, the two of them were able to turn his energies toward more constructive areas, and the last few years had been quite happy and productive, until a week ago, when a letter had arrived in the mail.

Shinji barely paid attention when the class representative, a pigtailed girl named Hikari, introduced him to the rest of the class. She seemed nice enough, but he had other things on his mind.

Off in the corner of the room, near the window, sat the so called First Child, Rei Ayanami. She looked as bored as he felt. The only sign that she had been injured, from when he had seen her in the EVA launch bay, was a cast on her hand. After hikari had finished, everyone broke up and went over to their respective friends and circles.

Rei looked up as Shinji walked up and sat in a chair next to her. "Glad to see you're feeling better. You weren't looking too good last time I saw you."

"I am recuperating steadily from my injuries, Pilot Ikari." she had a voice that expressed terminal disinterest.

"Pilot Ikari? We're not on the clock, Ayanami. Shinji is fine."

Blood red eyes shifted and examined him. 'You are wrong, Pilot Ikari. The Angels can come at any time. We are always 'on the clock', as you say."

"If you say so. Almost time for lunch. What kind of food they serve in this place?"

"I do not know, Pilot Ikari. I only know they serve meat often. I pack a meal from my home."

"You a vegetarian, huh? You're a braver woman than I. I don't know what I'd do without a cheeseburger or a steak." and with that, he got up and walked out the classroom, leaving Rei alone with her thoughts.

Rei tilted her head slightly and looked at him. "Brave? How am I..brave?" Being labeled in such a manner was confusing to her. What had she done to be brave?

* * *

The school provided top of the line laptops to every student, so they could chat over the school network and do research relating to classes. While he ate in the cafeteria, Shinji noticed a great deal of chatter through the school messaging service lines. Curious, he opened a window. 

_you seen that new kid? cuute. quiet though. what's his story?_

_i heard from by brother that he pilots one of those giant robots._

_no shit? how does your brother know?_

_he works at NERV. his father's the commander-_

His father. It always came back to his father. Why was that? Shinji gritted his teeth and opened another window and began typing.

_he's NOT my father._

Several people grouped around laptops stopped typing and looked at him. Shinji waved at two girls sitting at the far end of the cafeteria. One smiled, and they began chattering to one another.

_are you the pilot of that robot that killed the angel? you're so coool! i'm dying to know!_

_how can i become a pilot?_

_how do they choose? is it a test, what?_

_cmon, cmon, cmon! are you a pilot? YES or NO?_

Shinji took a deep breath, and then typed YES.

In less than a minute, he was surrounded by dozens of students, all chattering away at once. He was a lucky dog, he was crazy, fighting giant monsters, could'nt he fight away from the city? Reconstructing damaged buildings and infrastructure would take at least a month.

A loud slamming of a chair against a table got his attention, as a tall boy looked at him with barely restrained anger turned away and left the cafeteria, followed by a smaller boy wearing glasses and carrying a camcorder. What was that about?

* * *

On his way back to class, Shinji's pants began vibrating. Pulling out his cell phone, Shinji saw KATSURAGI, MISATO as the caller. Flipping the phone open, he said "Something I can do for you? I'm kind of busy with everyone kissing my ass now that they know I'm an EVA pilot." 

"Some boxes came for you. I signed for them. Nothing in them but clothes...shirts, jackets. This shit is expensive. Where'd you get the money for nice threads like these?"

"My aunt and uncle bought them for me. When it comes to looking presentable, money is no object."

"In that case, I'll have to have you take me out sometime, seeing as you're rich and all. Someplace classy."

"You know what classy looks like?"

"Very funny. I bought some steaks earlier. they're in the fridge. Can you make them when you get back?"

"Yeah. Be seeing you." Shinji clicked the phone off. He was turned around roughly by a boy wearing a black tracksuit and a hard look in his eyes.

"Gonna have to beat you down, new kid."

"Any particular reason, or is this just for kicks?"

A second boy, the one Shinji had seen wearing glasses and carrying the camcorder walked up. "You're the EVA pilot? You should be more careful. Toji's sister was injured by falling debris from you wrestling with that monster a couple days ago."

"_I _should be more careful? She should have gotten her ass to a shelter. At least she's alive!"

With a growl, Toji launched himself at Shinji, fists ready to smash something. Instead of backing off or putting his hands up, Shinji darted foward and headbutted Toji, knocking him back.

"You've got some moves," Toji groaned. He had'nt expected the new kid to fight back, or to headbutt him. His nose started bleeding. Shinji dropped into a relaxed stance and looked at him, waiting for a move.

The shrill sound of alarms broke the silence. An Angel attack.

"Pilot Ikari." Shinji looked to his right. Rei was there, watching them. "We are needed."

"Yeah, yeah." Shinji looked at Toji. "Duty calls." be ran down the hallway after Ayanami toward the exit.

"We're not finished, new kid!" Toji yelled after him.

"Blow it out your ass!" was the last thing he heard before Shinji sped out the door.

**_I promise the next couple chapters will be more action packed. Building up a slow burn...please review_**


	4. Innocent Bystanders

Shinji watched as the cockpit of Unit 01 filled with the liquid the technicians called LCL. Shinji had been told that it was through it that he was able to link with the EVA and pilot it. He did'nt like it. He had to fight back the idea that he was drowning. It also did'nt help that the LCL smelled like blood. That creeped him out a little bit.

A video window popped up in front of him, showing Misato in the control center. _"Twenty minutes ago, an anomalous lifeform appeared in Japanese airspace 6.8 kilometers from Tokyo-3. It is on a direct course to this location. Your mission is to stop it. Are you sure you are familiar with the capabillities and weapons at your disposal? We are sending an armament storage unit alongside you. Inside are two Pallet Rifles firing depleted uranium tank shells."_

"You got me the nicest toys. Send me up. I'm ready to test them out."

_"One other thing. As you'll be in a combat situation, if you are unplugged from the power umbilical, you will only have sixty seconds to kill the Angel. Make every second count."_

"Roger."

There was a harsh feeling of pressure and acceleration as Unit 01 was launched into battle.

* * *

"This isn't a good idea, Toji." 

"Go back if you want to. I want to see what's going on. You heard it out there? Sounds like World War Three outside."

In the distance, there was the rapid-fire thumps of artillery. Even underground, shockwaves could be felt.

"We're going to hear it from Hikari over this..."

"So what? You know that girl likes to hear herself talk. Besides, don't you want to record this? For posterity?"

"Do you even know what _posterity_ means?'

"Don't start, Kensuke. Help me with this blast door."

The two of them braced against a door that had been weakened by a nearby explosion. With one final shove, the door screamed open, and brilliant sunlight streamed into the deserted accessway Toji had found.

"Whoa..."

The two of them looked transfixed as the Angel, which looked like a giant purple penis, fought against Unit 01, which grabbed a rifle the size of a bus from an enourmous storage locker and opened up, full auto, on it. Kensuke recorded with his camera as the Angel activated some kind of field that deflected every bullet, which seemed to be some kind of high-explosive round. Smoke hid the Angel, and Unit 01 swept the area, looking for it's enemy.

The smoke parted as a shining tentacle spat out and cut through Unit 01's rifle, destroying it. Unit 01 grabbed another rifle from the locker, but another tentacle swept out of the dissapating smoke and batted the second rifle away. The Angel then rushed through the smoke, butting the EVA and knocking it high into the air. The EVA seemed to be connected to the ground through some large power cable. As the EVA flew further back, the power cable ripped up through the street, sending pavement flying.

"We should move, Toji..."

Toji looked up from the action to see that the EVA, which was several stories tall, seemed to be sailing through the air in slow motion toward them. It was too close.

The two of them began running, only to be sent flying as the EVA impacted with the earth, a shockwave knocking them off their feet.

* * *

Shinji banged his head and saw stars as he came back to earth. He tasted blood. 

This was one sneaky devil. As soon as Shinji had entered the surface, he had grabbed a Pallet Rifle from the weapons locker and opened up on the fucker. _Hardcore_.

He had not been pleasantly surprised as a purple tentacle shot out and cut up his rifle. Misato was screeching something at him over the comlink about the Angel having an AT Field. He remembered being briefed that the EVAs also possessed an AT Field, but he had yet not figured out how to raise it. _Godammit!_ They were cheating...

It had actually hurt when the thing had rushed him. His chest felt like he had been hit with a sledgehammer, and his perception shifted as he sailed through the air.

_I'm flying_... and then he felt dull pain as the earth rushed up to meet him.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the Angel tear through the city to get at him. He must have really pissed it off.

He thought about flexing his hand, and the EVA's right hand flexed. He had to get back up, back into the fight. He stopped as he saw sudden movement near his right hand. He thought about focusing on that spot, and the EVA's displays zoomed in. Shit. He recognized that fucker in the black tracksuit. That other kid was with him, the one with the camera. They were supposed to be in shelters. Did'nt anyone follow directions?

* * *

Toji and Kensuke stopped backing away when the EVA's hand stopped moving. The EVA's head tilted town and looked at them. It looked frightening up close, yellow eyes and sharp edges. 

A hatch on the EVA's neck opened with a loud POP and what looked like some big metal screw slid out. The screw had some kind of door in it, and it opened, releasing some kind of orange fluid to come streaming out. A hand grabbed the edge of the hatch and pulled up a body. It was the new kid. He was yelling something.

"Get your asses over _here_, godammit! You're in the way! You want to die?!"

Toji and Kensuke ran up the hill. Shinji was wearing some kind of flight suit, white and black with navy blue trim. He had some kind of white metallic devices on his head. He looked pissed.

"Why the fuck are'nt you two in a shelter? Get the fuck in. I don't have all day."

"In...?"

"Yes, in! Come on, it's getting closer. I can't fight it with you in my way!"

Toji and Kensuke climbed into the entry plug. The hatch closed and the Plug popped back into the EVA. The EVA's neck hatch resealed. Suddenly, from vents around the Plug, more of that orange fluid streamed in, refilling the cockpit.

"You trying to drown us?!" Toji yelled.

"Relax. You can breath it. Shut the fuck up and stop squirming around! I need to concentrate."

"My camera..." Kensuke wailed. The camcorder had shorted out from the LCL.

"I'll buy you another camera! Just be cool. If I don't beat this thing, your camera will be the least of your worries."

The EVA shook as Shinji guided it back to it's feet. There was a quick perseption shift, as the EVA stood at it's full height. Toji and Kensuke found it disorienting.

A sudden movement to the EVA's left, and the forth Angel was back. It's tentacles glowed a bright purple in the daylight, and electric arcs ran aling their lengths. it seemed to be challenging him.

"Round two, fucker." Unit 01 reengaged the enemy.

* * *

Shinji had again underestimated the Angel, and was paying for it. The creature, for it's mass, was quicker than it looked. One of it's tentacles became razor-thin and edged, and shot out, severing the power umbilical from NERV to Unit 01. 

Alarms and flashing lights suddenly filled the cockpit, and a bright computer display with a timer began counting down. 59.59. Not a lot of time to do much of anything.

With blazing speed, the Angel had one of its tentacles wrapped around Unit 01's throat and sent an electric charge at it's opponent.

Inside the Entry Plug, the LCL heated up considerably from the Angel's electric attack. Shinji screamed and grabbed at his throat. An angry red welt had appeared there. He was also bleeding from his nose and ears. Keeping conscious was a significant achievement.

The Angel pulled Unit 01 in closer. A pair of red eyes seemed to be examining the EVA, probing it. The look in the Angel's eyes was completely inhuman.

Shinji looked at the Angel's chest. Behind some kind of armored carapace, there was a dull red glow. He had been told about this. The Angel's core. Kill the core, kill the Angel.

A port on one of Unit 01's shoulder guards popped open, revealing a holster for a knife. The...progressive knife. Someone had called it that.

A lateral slice at the carapace peeled it open, revealing a large, throbbing orb. It seemed to be pulsing with energy. Shinji looked at the countdown for the EVA's power levels.

12.34.

He drove the knife into the core, and then punched it, so it went in deeper. A brilliant red light surged from the destroyed core, and then it went dark. The core then began gushing a thick, red fluid. The Angel's tentacles powered down and detached themselves, dropping Unit 01.

* * *

Shinji had tapped a button, and the EVA's entry/exit hatch unsealed, and the Enrty Plug shifted to allow exit. He pressed the hatch controls, and the Plug was open to the world. Toji and Kensuke quickly climbed out, dripping with LCL. 

They turned around as Shinji struggled to climb out. He finally fell in a heap on the ground, and struggled to get up. His breathing was ragged and irregular. Toji helped him to his feet, but Shinji collapsed again. He barely had the energy to think, much less move.

"Hey..." he said weakly. He took a deep breath. "Open that panel...on the side of the Plug and hand me the phone..."

Kensuke ran over to the exterior of the Entry Plug and saw a small metal box on the side. Opening it, he saw a wireless satellite phone. He took it and handed it to Shinji. Toji had moved him to a sitting position on a nearby rock. With effort, Shinji pressed a button on the phone and spoke into it.

"The Angel...is dead." Shinji wheezed. He stopped and began coughing heavily. He spat out blood. "I've been better, Misato. No, Misato. I had no choice but to let them into the EVA. Can we...talk about this later? I'm not feeling...too good." With that, Shinji dropped the phone and collapsed sideways onto the grass. Toji and Kensuke ran over. Why was everything getting blurry? In the distance, he heard something about staying awake, and saw Toji pounding on his chest. It became too hard to stay alert anymore.

* * *

Toji and Kensuke listened as down the hallway in a frantic voice, Misato was yelling at Shinji. 

"_God_dammit, Shinji! You have got to be smarter than that! What do we train you for, if you're going to disregard battle protocol like that? We need you, now more than ever! Unit 00 is still out of commission. it'll be at least a week and a half until it is operational and Rei can be tested in it again. Unit 02 won't be here for a while. You are all that stands between humanity and the Angels. Right now, there is _no_ one else. You can't be taking risks like that."

There was the sound of rapid tapping of keys on a keyboard.

'It _does'nt_ matter that you accomplished the mission! When you are in combat, your first priority if to kill the Angel. Everything else is secondary." More tapping of keys. "You could'nt leave them there to die? This is a war, and in a war, people die! You have to understand that."

Misato turned around to see Toji and Kensuke, dressed in clean clothes, standing in the doorway. "I'll come back later." Misato got up and left the room. The two of them could see that she had been crying, and her face was a mass of worry. They approached the hospital bed.

During the battle, in the moments when the fourth Angel had used it's electric attack against Unit 01, Shinji's synchronization rate had risen from 62 percent to over 80 percent. The trauma inflicted upon the EVA had been replicated on a smaller scale on it's pilot. He had been placed on life support, with a ventilator breathing for him until his trachea healed and the lining in his lungs was no longer bruised. The NERV doctors had called it a miracle that he had been able to function, mich less kill the Angel and be conscious for as long as he was after the attack.

"You've looked better." Kensuke said. The Third Child looked so weak, as if all of the fight had been taken out of him. His only significant injuries was to his respiratory system. Shinji held up a small computer tablet with a screen and keyboard. I FEEL LIKE SHIT, he typed. "THE DOCTORS SAY I'LL BE ABLE TO BREATHE ON MY OWN AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. MY VOICE SHOULD ALSO COME BACK SOON. YOU GUYS ALRIGHT?

"NERV security were halfway ready to put out asses in solitary for life. They said that our actions 'endangered the Third Child's life and jeapordized the mission.' Finally they made us agree to never reveal what heppened to anyone. Then they let us go." Toji said.

NEXT TIME, STAY IN THE SHELTER. I DON'T WANT TO GET HURT A SECOND TIME FOR YOU GUYS.

"I'm sorry. About earlier. I shouldn't have gotten in your face in school. I'm-I'm not a bad guy. I was just worried about my sister. But I should'nt have gotten on you about something that wasn't your fault. You're sorry too, right Kensuke?'

"Sorry for what?" Toji hit him in the arm. "Yeah, man. I'm sorry too."

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, Shinji typed. LISTEN. GO TO MISATO AND TELL HER TO CHARGE TO MY NERV ACCOUNT THE COST OF A NEW CAMCORDER. GO TO THE MALL, GET ANY CAMCORDER YOU WANT. PRICE IS NO ISSUE.

"What? Why?" Kensuke asked.

I DID SAY I WOULD BUY YOU A NEW CAMERA. I DON'T MAKE A HABIT OF LYING TO MY FRIENDS. NOW GET OUT OF HERE AND TELL MISATO, BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND. I'LL SEE YOU LATER IN SCHOOL. I JUST WANT TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW.

"You consider us your friends/' Toji asked. He was surprised.

WHY NOT? NOW GET OUT. I WANT TO SLEEP.

Kensuke grinned. "You're all right, man. Get well soon." He gave a short wave and left.

"Be seeing you. Don't up and die on us, now." Toji left.

Shinji pulled the covers on his bed up and rolled over on his side. Those two might be more trouble than they were worth. But then again, you can never pick the peope you call your friends.

He tried to sleep. Breathing with that respirator was a pain in the ass. Two, three more days until he could leave. He could'nt wait.


	5. What's so special about you?

**_NERV Facility on outskirts of Tokyo-3..._**

The scientists were busy.

In the past week since the pilot of Unit 01 had killed Shamshel, the Fourth Angel, there had been a golden opportunity for scientific study. The Angels were organisms seemingly not of this earth, and to defeat one's enemies, one must study them. The Angel's carcass was quite a prize.

In an office down the hallway from the main analysis chamber, Ritsuko sat, typing furiously at a medical computer, analyzing DNA extracted from the Angel. Misato and Shinji were off to the side, staring into space. Shinji reached over to a nearby minifridge and pulled out another soda. The fridge had been filled with drinks, but after two hours, Shinji had nearly emptied it. He had been released from the hospital several days before, but his throat was still raw. His voice was coming back, and he could breathe on his own, but there was still considerable pain. The drinks helped dull the burning sensation he felt every time he tried to draw a breath.

_Another one bites the dust_. Shinji tossed the empty can in the trash.

He cleared his throat. "Learn anything interesting, Doctor?" He had been pulled along this trip by Misato, and after two hours he was bored.

Ritsuko finished tapping at the keyboard, and a genetic diagram popped up on the screen. "Simply amazing."

"What?" Misato asked. She seemed bored too. But she was required to come to the analysis, as Operations Director. She had dragged Shinji with her because he had been in the house for three days since getting out of the hospital. He needed to get up and be about again.

"There is a 99.89 percent correlation between human DNA and Angel DNA patterns. Such a similarity...is simply amazing."

"I fought that thing and killed it, doctor. I looked into it's eyes. There was nothing _remotely_ human about the way it looked at me. It looked at me as if I was some kind of bug, not worth it's time." Shinji's voice grew distant for a second, remembering engaging the creature. It had been...intense.

"The genetic similarity...there have been several theories regarding this." Ritsuko continued. "It has been hypothesized that the Angels are divergent evolutionary offshoots. What humanity could have been. There are the obvious differences between us and them, but the fact that we are so closely related genetically is something that warrants further investigation."

Shinji and Misato both shrugged their shoulders. They just had to kill the Angels. That was the limit to their responsibilities. Theorizing about them was better left up to the scientists.

A sudden commotion in the hallway outside of the office drew Shinji's attention. A group of several military officers and aides, all with ranks above Captain, were walking around a central figure in dark clothes. They stopped in the main analysis chamber and spread out, conferencing with several scientists and examining readings from the scanners that had been set up to probe the Angel's remains.

The central figure was his father. Shinji recognized him because he was the only one who constantly seemed to be giving off an aura of aloofness. His uncle had told him once that his brother was the only person who seemed to make a constant, conscious effort to stick out in a crowd. How trur that statement was did not matter to Shinji.

Shinji popped back into Ritsuko's office and sat back down. He popped open another soda.

"Misato," she looked at Shinji. "Why's my father wearing gloves? Just curious."

"Before you came, several months ago there was an accident during the activation test of Unit 00, Rei's unit. There was some sort of mental feedback, and Unit 00 went beserk. Rei was ejected from Unit 00 in her entry Plug, but it had become superheated. Your father rushed to the recovery area and opened the entry port of Unit 00 with his bare hands, severely burning his hands. He has worn those gloves ever since."

Both women snapped their attention to where Shinji was sitting as first a giggle, then a burst of barely restrained laughter erupted from him. Tears were coming from his eyes, and he seemed to be shifting between extreme amusement and insanity. Ritsuko and Misato looked at one another.

Finally Shinji was able to regain his composure. "Heh---he-heh...he burned up his hands...for a girl I barely know..." he began laughing again for a second. "I-I was unaware the Commander was such...a..." he began laughing a third time. "Who knew the old man had it in him? She must be quite a girl..." Misato noticed Ritsuko stiffen slightly when Shinji said that. He wiped his face and cracked his neck. "I'm cool. I'm cool. God, I needed that."

A look of concern passed over Misato's face for a second. "I think that's enough of hanging down here for today. You have to be at NERV for your training later."

"My training?"

"Yes. Everyone employed at NERV must go through military basic training. You are fit enough to pass the physicals, and you know martial arts, so we know you can handle yourself, so you'll be recieving weapons training."

"Weapons training?" his eyes lit up. "Guns, explosives, the whole nine yards?"

"I think we'll just stick with small arms and personal defense weapons for now."

"You're no fun. Will you be training me?"

"No, but I'll be there observing your progress. Be at the NERV training course and firing range at 1540."

"Well I'm off. Is there anything else?" Shinji was halfway down the door. "Wait!" Ritsuko called. She hastily wrote down something on a sheet of paper and then pulled out a NERV ID from her lab coat pocket.

"Can you make a stop at Ayanami's place and give this to her? This is her updated NERV ID. Here's her address." She handed Shinji the paper. "Sure. See you later." He walked down the hallway and entered an elevator which would take him outside.

Both women looked at one another for a moment. What had been funny to him? That Re had been hurt? That his father had injured himself for a girl that was a stranger to him? Only Shinji knew.

* * *

_This place looks like shit._

This was the only response Shinji could come up with. He followed the directions to teh address Ritsuko had given him, a small apartment complex on the edge of town. There was construction all over the place, new high rises going up, Tokyo-3 being reinforced and restructured for the next Angel attack. But rei's building looked sadly neglected.

He really wasn't surprised to see that the building's elevator was broken when he entered her building. The entire place had a sense of 'who gives a shit' about it. Climbing up the stairs to her place, Shinji saw that all of the other apartments on the floor were deserted. He came to a stop in front of Ayanami's door. One knock sent the door flying open. Apparently her lock was also broken.

"It's Shinji Ikari! I work with you at NERV! I'm coming in!" the echo from his yelling made him feel a bit foolish. He stepped in and closed the door.

The entire apartment classified as barely habitable. In one corner, upon closer inspection, Shinji saw a cardboard box covered with bloody bandages. The sheets on the nearby bed also had some old bloodstains. There was a fine layer of dust on a lot of stuff. The small fridge in the corner was empty, and all that was in the cupboards were boxes of instant ramen. Those were good for a meal in a pinch, but that shit had way too much sodium and salt to eat every day.

A door down a short hallway opened, and Shinji turned around to see Rei in a towel, dripping water. Her face had no readable expression, but Shinji still felt like an invader.

"Why are you here, Pilot Ikari?"

He fished out Rei's new ID out of his back pocket. "Dr. Akagi said she forgot to give this to you. She asked me to stop by on my way to NERV. Don't you have an appointment there today?"

"I do. Dr. Akagi is often...forgetful in regards to me." She sounded slightly angry at that, if only for a second.

As Shinji handed the card to Rei, his eye was caught by something on a small table near her. Stacked on the table were several books, but resting on top of them were a pair of glasses. He walked over to the table and picked them up. Something..._distant_ in him brought up the fact that these had been his father's glasses. When he was younger, Shinji had dimly remembered his father wearing glasses with normal lenses. It was only after Gendo had sent him away after his mother's death that he began wearing his current glasses with the orange colored lenses.

He looked at her, glasses in hand. "He...gave these to you?"

Rei stepped foward. "Please give those back to me."

"**Who are you for him to be giving things to?! Who are the hell are you for him to burn his hands over?! Who are you for him to give me** **away but not you?!**" Shinji's voice grew louder and more laced with venom with each question.

Rei stepped foward and tried to snatch the glasses away. Shinji resisted, and Rei inadvertedly fell backwards, pulling Shinji on top of her.

The first thing Shinji saw were red eyes, staring up at him. There seemed to be a..._blankness_ behind them that startled him. Suddenly something sparked up to life in them again.

"Please get off of me."

Reis' request seemed to hang in the air for a moment before Shinji got to his feet. He offered Rei a hand, but she stood up on her own, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her towel had fallen to her feet.

The idea of _perfect_ came to mind in looking at her. It could have also been because Shinji had not seen many naked women in his life, so what he did see he would classify as perfect. What ended the moment was again looking into her eyes. She seemed beyond caring, one way or the other, if he or anyone looked at her. There seemed to be no emotional input from her, in a positive or negative way, about being looked at. That seemed to shift any sense of enjoyment that Shinji might have had to nil.

"I..I- am beyond sorry." Shinji grabbed a hearby hanger that had Rei's school clothes on it and handed it to her. She grabbed it, and began dressing. Shinji turned around. "Again, I deeply apologize..." He did'nt really feel sorry, but it seemed like the only thing to say. Absolutely no reaction. She had just stood there naked, alone. She had looked at him as if he had'nt even been there, if only for a moment.

"The glasses." she said, hand outstretched for them. He handed them over. She turned and left the apartment, closing the door. It took a second to register to Shinji that he had to go too, as he had his own training today.

Suffice to say, the trip to NERV was _quite_ uncomfortable, and quiet.

* * *

Shinji had tried to speak to Rei on the elevator down to NERV. They were now ten floors from the Geofront.

"They're going to re-test you back in Unit 00 today, huh?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Worried?"

"Unit 00 could go apeshit a second time. You gould get hurt again."

"I have been told that the proper adjustments have been made. The..incident will not happen again. Do you not have faith in your father's work?"

Shinji's response was nearly automatic. "Faith? In my father? The man's a snake. I don't trust him."

Shini heard a SLAP which was loud in the confined space of the elevator. His brain then registered slight pain and a tight feeling in his face. The glass of the elevator reflected a slight redness on his cheek.

"I have faith in the Commander. He is all I can believe in this world." The doors opened, and Rei Ayanami stepped out and walked away, leaving Shinji alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Look at the screen, and follow the instructions for assembling and loading the weapon. I will be alongside you to monitor your progress."

That was what the instructor in charge of NERV's firing range and armory said, handing Shinji a kit with pistol parts and one full clip. He wore sound dampening earmuffs to protect from the loud sounds of bullets being fired. Shinji walked over to an open kiosk on the range and opened the kit. He then looked at the PDA the instructor had given him. He initialized it and graphics began to run down how to assemble a UN standard pistol, circa 2009, maintain it, and load it. He looked down the range, at a nearby control and monitoring room. Here, accuracy, number of hits, how many bullets used, and more could be measured and analyzed. He saw Misato waving at him through the glass.

He tried assembling the gun a first time. It took him thirty seconds to put the pieces together. His hands moved at a blurred speed. His mind seemed to be shifting into a relaxed state, as it did whenever he became focused. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was the instructor. Shinji took off the earmuffs.

"Good. You're a quick study. But you forgot something. The locking mechanism. The gun will fall apart with one good hit." The instructor demonstrated this by tapping the gun against a nearby surface. The pieces fell apart. "You need the locking mechanism to hold all the parts together. Try again."

_Focus_. Shinji remembered his uncle saying. In all of his training, his aunt nor his uncle had ever trained him in weapons. Every martial art they knew, they passed on to him. But they refused to train him with weapons. Shinji knew that whatever former jobs they had, they were _very _familiar with weapons. But they were a wall in teaching him. He remembered something his uncle had said.

_It is useless for us to school you in weapons. As time passes, weapons will change. What we are trying to teach you is disciplne, focus. Mastering yourself. You master yourself, and you will master any weapon on your own. You will teach yourself, and teaching you how to teach yourself is what we are ultimately trying to do._

Focus. It sounded so simple, but was so difficult. He dissasembled the weapon again. He ran his hands over every part, studying them intimately. He began again. It was an effort to bring keep himself focused, totally alert and in control, resisting an automatic movement. He dinished assembing the weapon. It had taken 21.4 seconds for him to assemble it and load it.

"Impressive." the instructor said. He genuinely sounded surprised. He was even more so when he directed Shinji to take aim at some targets on the firing range and shoot them. The Third Child had an almost frightening level of concentation. He nailed every target.

"I'm done with this." Shinji said, handing the empty weapon to the instructor. "I want to try out some other hardware. Shotguns, machine guns, the works."

The instructor looked at him a second, and then aqquiesced. "All right. Captain Katsurigi told me you would ask about that. The limit for you is explosives. I can show you our sniper rifles, light machine guns and everything else, but don't ask me about grenade launchers or rockets. Don't even start about C4. The Captain will have my ass if I get the Third Child hurt while messing around with explosives."

Shinji grinned. "You know man, you're all right. Fine. No explosives. But I'm always wanted to shoot off a machine gun. They say it makes a man out of you. Is that true?"

The instructor, who later introduced himself to Shinji as Koba, spent the next hour showing Shinji the finer points of A-16s, the UN's standard combat rifles. The fun and games were broken however, by the flashing lights and klaxons and alarms alerting everyone to an Angel attack.

Shinji shook Koba's hand. "Gotta go, man. Goddamm Angels! I'll come back sometime soon. You still have to show me those Striker shotguns. Those are cool. See you around!" Shinji ran towards the elevators. He still had to suit up and fight. Looked like the end of his day.


	6. Psychotic Episodes

The low, constant hum of the linear elevator cut through the layers of armor and LCL, filling Shinji's ears as he was shot upwards into the city to fight the newest Angel. NERV had called it Ramiel, the Fifth Angel. It sounded very biblical, and appropriate.

There was a bone-jarring stop as Unit 01 ceased its acceleration. The elevator's hatch opened, and bright sunlight beamed into the cockpit. Several blocks away was a giant...purple..._shape_, floating in midair. Something about it remeinded Shinji of geometry. A name raced out at him from his subconscious. _Octahedral_. Yes, that was the name of the shape. It was crystalline, nothing organic looking about it at all.

What pushed Shinji back into the here and now was a light shimmer of the air in front of the Angel. This shimmer intensified, until a white beam erupted from the shimmer, speeding towards him. The world seemed to jell into slow motion. He heard Misato saying something to him over the comline, but she sounded muted and distant, like a record with the RPM turned _way_ down. From the street in front of him, a giant slab of metal shot out. Some kind of shield, he supposed. He seemed to be going off on tangents...

The white light shot through the shield as if it were not even there, and bore down on him. He was helpless, pinned by the safety locks of the linear elevator. All he could do was take it...

The light, it seemed to have his full attention. He could dimly remember frantic calls on the comm link. Someone was calling him. It seemed important, but it did'nt really seem to matter at the moment...

He felt as if his insides had been set on fire, when the Angel's light hit him. It seemed to drill through all of those impressive layers of Evangelion armor and destroy his center. He vaguely sensed downward motion, as he was pulled back into the earth, towards the Geofront. The darkness of the Earth seemed to fill his vision for a moment, before Shinji began fading out, and true darkness closed over him.

* * *

_"How you feeling, little man?" _

_Huh? Where was he? This place seemed familiar. There were bay windows leading to a balcony on the far wall. On a good day like this one, the view of the ocean was simply breathtaking. The fresh sea air could sweep in and just...fill the room._

_Whose room was this, anyhow? He vaguely remembered being hurt, and losing consciousness. Being hurt was nothing new to him. But waking up afterwards...that was always disorienting. He always had a slight...disconnect from time, and from himself._

_There was a mirror across from his bed. Staring back at him was an eight-year old boy, with his right arm in a cast. _

_The sharp smell of Cuban cigars filled his nostrils. Sitting in a chair next to his bed was a man, obviously enjoying his cigar. What was his name? Things had to fall into place. His name was...Jean. Yeah, that was it. He was his aunt's brother. He seemed nice enough, although Shinji had not made a great effort to get to know the man. The one thing he always remembered about Jean was that he was French, and damned if he did not look like the splitting image of Jean Reno. That stuck out at Shinji because his favorite movie was **The Professional,** a movie from the 1990s, that starred Jean Reno. Super cool._

_There was a glass of water near Shinji's bed. He drank it. "What happened?" he asked. Last night seemed hazy. He did remember he had been very angry about something. Shinji noticed that he felt angry nearly constantly as of late. More so than many other people, he supposed. Would he always feel that way?_

_Jean put out his cigar. A look of discomfort passed over his face. "There was some ugliness...last night. Words were saud, accusations were thrown about. The situation became physical."_

_Physical? How had that happened? He did remember that recently he seemed to be arguing with his aunt and uncle on a regular basis. Why was that? He had lived with them for the past three years, ever since he was five and his mother had died. A few days after her death, his father had someone who worked for him pick Shinji up and pack his belongings in a car. Later that day, he was in Osaka, at an estate outside the city. The man who worked for his father had handed his uncle a cell phone, with his father on the other end. His uncle and his father had talked for over an hour on another room. He had sat in the kitchen, with a woman named Violette, his uncle's wife. Screaming could periodically be heard from the room where his uncle was talking with his father. Finally, his uncle came out, looking visibly tired. His uncle spoke to the man who worked for Shinji's father. Several moments later, the man went back to his car and left. _

_What exactly happened always seemed to be a mystery to Shinji, but ever since that night, he had lived with his aunt and uncle at their home in Osaka. He actually liked the estate. The mansion itself was constructed in a fusion of Japanese and Western styles, with all of the modern amenities. He met his aunt's brother, Jean soon after, and Jean was nice. Everyone was nice. His uncle, his aunt, everyone was just...nice. He had not thought heavily about that until recently. The more he seemed to think about that, the more it seemed to anger him. Everyone being nice, he seemed to see it for what it really was. False smiles, surrogate mothers. Grins covering teeth that would eat him up. False friends...false family members. He had to fight that. It had seemed terribly important that he...**FIGHT** that. Why was that?_

_"Jean...what happened?"_

_Jean looked at Shinji. "You got into an argument with Samanosuke and Violette at dinner last night. Sometime during that, you tried to kill Samanosuke, with a knife. In getting the knife away from you, Samanosuke broke your arm."_

* * *

_That...was me? Shinji wondered. He remembered that for a while, and even more so for the past several days, it felt like a...bile, a poison was in him. Overwhelming feelings of hatred and confusion seemed to be all that was on Shinji's mind. He could not concentrate in school. School was boring anyway. He had almost been relieved when he got in a fight with that asshole who had been trying to shake him down for his allowance. Breaking that kid's ankle and collarbone, stomping his kidneys had been enourmously satisfying. The boy had been at least three years older, and outweighed Shinji by maybe thirty pounds, but he had screamed like an old grandmother when Shinji went to work on him. The rest of the day had been a blur. The principal had called his aunt and uncle in and informed them of Shinji's expulsion from school. Bla..bla...bla. _

_Dinner that night had been awkward, and silent. His aunt and uncle, whetever they did for a living, they were fantastic at it, but they knew very little about raising children. Shinji expected them to scream at him or something. Tell him he was a dissapointment, anything. He was'nt their child! But they said nothing. Finally Shinji began screaming at them, calling them cowards and pieces of shit human beings. They were sorry excuses for parents. Were they too scared too say anything? He called them bastards and bitches and every vile name he could think of. All they did was just look at him, worry and shock on their faces. The... depths of his anger and vitriol had surprised them. _

_Violette began crying and tried to go over to him, embrace him. She was babbling something about it was alright to be angry. He would get over his father, someday. Something about her, a stranger talking about his father, burned him up. With a kick, he knocked her to the floor. How dare she bring up his father?! What did she know about anything?! He had yelled at her. All of this yelling seemed to be tiring Shinji out. He looked at his uncle, sitting at the table, looking at him. There was something...His father was here! His uncle had been replaced somehow by his father! He was right there! Wearing the same glasses, the same dark suit. The same Goddammed smile, as if he knew just a little more than you. There was something superior about it that drove Shinji mad. He had to show him. Cut that smile away from him. Who was he to smile at him, after he dumped him like a bad habit? Shinji picked up a nearby knife and leapt at his father, or the man who he thought was his father. Who could tell anymore?_

* * *

_Jean finished talking. "That's what happened?" Shinji asked._

_ It seemed unreal, like another person. But it was him. How had he let himself get to such a state? _

_The bedroom door opened, and his aunt and uncle walked in. They both looked disheveled, as if neither one had spent much time sleeping. Jean stood up and looked at his sister. She began speaking to him rapidly in French. Jean began speaking back to her, in a surprised tone. _

_"Enough." his uncle said. "We have decided where our priorities are in this, Jean. Working at the Agency and raising a child cannot go hand in hand. You know that. The fact that we have done so for so long is our fault. We are partially to blame for what has been happening. The decision is made. Your phone, please."_

_Jean handed him his cell phone. Samanosuke punched in a number and waited. "Connect me to ICA Actual. This is Golgo 13, code ASDF-143-RT7. Patch me through to Diana, please. I will hold, thank you."_

_Several moments passed. Samanosuke entered into a neutral, businesslike tone. "Diana? Thank you for speaking with me. I am buying out my contract today. My wife also. Yes, something very important has come up that requires our full attention. Agency work is just not possible. Yes. Thank you. The work was pleasant, in a way. A part of me will miss it. Hold on, my wife wishes to speak with you." he handed Jean's phone to Violette._

_Violette's French accent filled the room. "This is Queen Bee, code YTGD-445-JKL. I am confirming the closing of my contract for the reasons already specified. No, my brother will continue to be on call for the Agency. The appropriate financial transfers will be made by the end of the day. Thank you. Goodbye. She closed the phone and handed it back to her brother._

_Shinji looked first at his aunt, then his uncle. What had they done? Things were getting weird. His aunt was trying to smile at him, put him at ease, but the whole attempt just seemed awkward._

_"What did the two of you just do?" he asked._

_"We quit our jobs." Violette said._

_"Why did you do that?!" Shinji yelled. "Who told you to do that?!" He got the distinct feeling they had done that because of him. Why would they do that?_

_"For too long...we have been lying to ourselves." his uncle said. "The kind of work we did...it is not the kind of work that allows children in one's life. Eventually we would have had to make a decision. Today, we made it."_

_"Who told you to do something stupid like that?!" Shinji yelled at them."You should'nt have given up your jobs for me!" They were trying to guilt trip him, or something._

_"This is no trick," Violette said, sitting on his bed. "I think...I think we need each other. Last night showed that, if nothing else."_

_"Need each other? Who told you to quit your jobs? I certainly did'nt. Two of you are goddamm fools, that's what you are." Shinji said in a shaky voice, although he was'nt so sure..._

_"My brother..." Samanosuke laughed. "My brother really messed with your head, did'nt he? You want to hurt him something fierce, don't you? You showed that last night."_

_"Why do you have to keep bringing that UP?!" Shinji yelled. "I just want to forget. I just want to forget everything. My life...myself...I don't feel like...me. I have'nt felt like myself for a long time..." Shinji turned over in the bed. He did'nt want to look at them..._

_Samanosuke walked around the bed and stood there, looking at him. "You got kicked out of school."_

_"So what?"_

_"We've made arrangements to have you home schooled. You're not getting out of school that easily."_

_"If I'm getting home schooled, why did you quit your jobs?"_

_ "The two of us will also be teaching you something. Discipline. Self-control. Mastering yourself. You know how to fight? You like to fight? We will teach you how to be constructive, not DEstructive with your anger, your emotions."_

_"What are the two of you going to do, teach me martial arts?"_

_"Yes. We know...let's say we are extremely skilled in that area. We will teach you all that we know."_

_"Why would you do that?"_

_"You're not a lost cause. My brother may have thought that, but we do not. You are not **our** son, but you are...someone's son, and we have been entrusted with raising you. In the past, we have been negligent in that regard. That changes today."_

_Not a lost cause..._

_"When do we start?"_

_"Soon. Your arm will need to heal up. Maybe in about three weeks. I think you will find the two of us a greater challenge than beating up the school bully."_

_Violette kissed Shinji on the forehead and then the three of them left, leaving Shinji alone in his room. Things had been crazy for a while...he had been crazy for a while. Maybe this would help. He turned over onto his side. He did like to fight. He actually felt like he was looking foward to his lessons. Learning new wats of kicking ass sounded good to him. All that other stuff...discipline, self-control...maybe there was a place for that too._

_He was asleep within seconds. _

* * *

Shinji was awoken by the feeling someone was watching him. He sprang up in bed only to see two ruby-red eyes watching him. He had seen those eyes before. Ayanami. That's who those eyes belonged to. There was something familiar about the light in them. They looked...lost. That was something Shinji recognized, as he saw something very similar in his own eyes ever since he had come to Tokyo-3 and seen his father again. 

She spoke. "Pilot Ikari. You are awake.'_  
_


	7. The Passenger

**_I apologize for the typos present in my previous chapters. I am working to make sure they say as low as possible. God, I hate typos..._**

**_

* * *

_**

Trying to sit up in his hospital bed caused an enourmous wave of pressure and sharp pain to rise in Shinji's chest. It felt as if a gigantic weight had crashed into him. Rei was at his side, holding him down.

"Do not try to move. You sustained trauma to several ribs and internal organs from the Angel's attack. The damage has been repaired, but there will be some...lasting discomfort."

"How long was I out for?" Shinji asked.

"Six hours, forty-nine minutes. After the Fifth Angel disabled your EVA, it deployed a drill of some sort that is currently boring through the armor plate of NERV. It will reach the Central Core by midnight tonight. That cannot happen."

"That fucker shut me down. I've never hurt that much in my life." Shinji cracked his neck, bringing the feeling back in it.

"The Angel has been confirmed as using a high-energy proton beam, vastly superior to conventional weaponry. It fires at the speed of light. You never had a chance with a conventional physical engagement."

"All right. hand-to-hand is out. What can we do?"

"Captain Katsuragi has devised a plan of attack against the Angel. We will be briefed shortly."

"We? I thought Unit 00 was still locked down?"

"My re-sync test with Unit 00 was successful. I will be alongside you for this operation. Are you well enough to move?"

"Yes...help me up." Shinji reached out an arm to Rei. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. But even injured, Shinji was still quite strong. He pulled Rei off her feet and she fell on top of him.

"This seems to be happening a lot, the two of us on top of each other." Shinji said, trying to lighten the mood. But the truth was that although Rei was a light girl, she only increased the pressure in his chest. A trickle of blood came from the corner of his mouth.

Rei immediately stood up. "I-I am sorry. I have injured you again."

"I'd rather it be you than some Angel." Shinji said. He was unprepared for the naked look of doubt and fear on her face. it was only for a moment before her face evened out and the moment passed. What was that about?

"Let's try again." Shinji said. "Let me get up, but you be there to support me once I'm on my feet. I don't want to fall."

With effort, Shinji slid off the bed, nearly falling. He waved away Rei, who moved to pull him up. We stood up on wobbly legs, holding his chest. Rei moved to hold his side, but visibly had trouble holding Shinji up. He outweighed her by at least sixty pounds, all of it felt like hard muscle. Eventually, the two of them made it outside, where Misato was waiting with her blue Alpine sportscar. The two of them helped Shinji into a lying position in the backseat, and then Rei sat in the passenger seat as Misato drove away from the hospital slowly, taking no sharp turns.

* * *

_T-minus 6 hours to NERV Operation "Midnight Sriker"..._

It seemed that the Fifth Angel did not see the numerous humans scurrying around in the periphery a threat, as it made no moves against them. Misato had previously briefed Shinji and Rei on her plan to destroy the Angel. Misato had requisitioned the JSDF's prototype positron cannon to use in a sniper-style attack against the Angel. It had been determined by the MAGI that the Angel only attacked once an aggressor passed within a certain range of the Fifth Angel. The EVAs and all of their support equipment would be deployed outside of that range. A buffer zone had been created earlier around Tokyo-3 and the surrounding airspace and waters. Sjinji and Rei would conduct the operation from a 4 kilometers out.

The positron cannon required a massive expenditure of energy, that had been calculated as equal to the entire power output of Japan. Measures had been quickly put into place to provide power outputs, energy filtration stations, and all other equipment necessary to shunt power foward to the cannon. Rei's place in the operation was to protect Shinji, as EVA 01 would be taking the shot. Misato had explained that Shinji's synchronization scores, which were higher than Rei's, was crucial, as absolute precision was needed. A reinforced heat shield, coated with an electromagnetic diffusion paint, had been requisitioned from the UN's space program. If the Angel sensed an attack, it would surely retailate, and Rei had to ensure Shinji's safety.

_All was in readiness..._

* * *

Rei was dressed in her plugsuit and was seated crosslegged on a service gantry that had been hastily mounted on a hillside on the city's outskirts. The sun was setting, and the red-orange of the daylight was giving way to a midnight blue/violet shift of night. In the distance, the sounds of drilling and tearing metal could be heard as the Angel drilled its way towards NERV. 

Rei looked up as the sounds of footsteps on the metal could be heard. She could just make out Shinji in the darkness. He was wearing his plugsuit, and holding two cans of soda. He stopped and offered one to Rei. She held her hand up, signifying she was not thirsty.

Shinji shrugged and bent down, placing one can next to her. "Just in case." he said. He walked over to the railing of the gantry and leaned on it, seemingly detached from everything. A sharp _HISS_ came out as he opened his own can.

"The technicians are undergoing final checks on the power leads and the power converters. We have a couple hours, and then we'll have to head out. Our EVAs are set up and undergoing system checks. Misato has a jeep and driver ready and waiting for us downstairs. He'll come get us when they're ready."

Shinii cracked his knuckles, and rubbed his chest. When he had been dressing earlier, he noticed in the mirror a slight circular discoloration on his chest, precisely where Unit 01 had been struk by the Angel. Ritsuko had told him that at the moment of impact, his mind had fooled itself into believing that it had been injured along with the EVA, and had psychosomatically reproduced the EVA's injury. Shinji found that hard to believe, but there it was. Recently, he found trusting Ritsuko harder and harder. She talked a lot of psychobabble, for one, which Shinji largely tuned out. Secondly, Shinji was convinced she was messing around after hours with his father. That brought her character into question for him. What she wanted to do with whomever she wanted to do it with was her business, but Shinji thought anyone who would be bedroom buddies with a snake like the Commander, they were hiding _something. _

He looked in the distance, at the Angel cutting through the earth. "Round two coming your way soon, motherfucker." His chest still hut, and he was still feeling short of breath. Some_thing_ had to pay for that.

"Ikari."

Shinji turned around and sat crosslegged across from Rei. He thought the darkness made those red eyes of hers glow, just a little bit. It was quite striking.

"Something on your mind?" Rei thought Shinji's expression was unreadable in the nighttime darkness.

"I wish to understand your statement better. What you mentioned earlier today about Commander Ikari. In what way is he untrustworthy?"

"Will you hit me again if I tell you?"

"...No."

"He-he-the Commander, he never comes at anyone straight, you see? It always has to be on his terms, his way, the tables stacked against you for him. That's how I look at it. Look at me. I'm comfortable in my own life, getting myself together, moving on. Then he comes back up out of the blue, and it's like I'm a little kid again, not in control of myself, tossed out on my ass."

"That does not sound like a rational explanation, Ikari."

"Damn right it's not rational!!" Shinji barked, taking Rei aback. "It's _irr_ational! Good! That's just how I feel. I get summoned here like some servant, and he acts like nothing happened. I would give anything, _anything_ to smash that face of his...looking at me like I should be grateful, or something..."

"Ikari," Rei said. How to proceed foward with this was a mystery to her, but she would do so. "Ikari, can you...-can you forget the past?"

Shinji suddenly bolted up and grabbed Rei roughly by the arm, dragging her to her feet. "Did _he_ tell you to say that?!" he yelled. "He wants to mend fences, does he?" Shinji's voice lowered. "You tell him-you tell him...when he's ready to burn his hands for me, then we'll talk."

"Burn his hands...? I am unsure what you mean, Ikari."

"Don't give me that! I know all about the accident with Unit 00. I know that he was first on the scene to get you out of the Entry Plug, and burned his hands doing it! When he can do something like that for me, then there can be room for...dialogue."

"Do you not believe he would do the same for you?"

"I-I don't know what he would do. I won't put myself in a position where I have to find out, that's for sure."

"The Commander did not order me to approach you regarding your relationship. In fact, he has not spoken to me at all regarding you. Your suspicions are unfounded."

Shinji released his hold on Rei's arm. "Please...please forgive me, Ayanami. I was out of line, grabbing you like that." He stepped away from her.

Rei faced him. "Yes, you were. But do not concern yourself."

"I want you to understand something. I feel...I think my life might have been better if he were not my father. I really do. I might be...happier, or something. Having to deal with someone who he has treated better than me...it's difficult, alright?"

"The Commander does not treat me 'better' than you. My relationship with him is not a familial one. My relationship with him is related to my purpose."

"Your purpose? What is your purpose?"

"My purpose, my duty, is to pilot EVA. Anything else is irrelevant."

"But one day, the Angels will be gone. This war cannot last forever. What will you do then?"

"I will die in this, Ikari. Of that I am certain."

"What the hell kind of thing is that to say?! You go into this with that kind of attitude and of course you'll die, you idiot! You have some kind of death wish, or something?!"

"This is no death wish. This is reality. This is fact. I have accepted this. You-you are grabbing me again, Ikari."

"How can you protect humanity if you can't protect yourself?"

"Protecting humanity and protecting myself are not mutually exclusive."

"Yes they are! What is the point of fighting, ensuring humanity has a future, if you die before you see it? In that case, we may as well pack up and let that Angel roll over on us. I'm not giving up without a fight, and neither should you."

"Why do you care so much, Ikari? I am nothing to you."

"I just do, alright? Leave it at that."

_"How can you protect humanity if you can't protect yourself?"_ Rei thought as Shinji turned his back to her and resumed staring out at the city. What kind of question was that? And why did that eat at her?

* * *

As 'Midnight Striker' commenced, events went wrong very quickly. But nothing ever moves along strictly as planned. 

At 2355 hours, EVAs 01 and 00 powered up and assumed their positions. Unit 01 had been mounted with specialized sensor apparatuses and linkups to satellites in orbit that transmitted positioning data and updated constantly. Shinji was briefed on the need to rely on his electronic lock on sensor suite, as the sensors had been modified to compensate for the positron cannon firing a beam that went along the line of the curve of the Earth.

When Shinji took his shot, the Angel, sensing the danger, retaliated. It shot a proton beam that intersected with the positron beam from Shinji's shot. The energies from these beams intersected and reacted, and gravity played a part. Shinji's shot bent, and struck the Angel, severely damaging it's drill. Immediately, it's incursion into the Geofront stopped.

The Angel's beam, however, struck Evangelion Unit 01 in the face, and the reaction was also immediate.

Every technician monitoring the com lines in relation to the operation suffered ruptured eardrums as screaming began emanating from the pilot of Unit 01, who had been blinded. The damage had been felt so severely that biomonitors of the Third Child's medical condtion reflected a similar blinding effect. Biodata showed Shinji Ikari's nerve endings on fire, and his retinas and optic nerves literally destroyed. The howling continued, and only seemed to increase, as Unit 01 began to resonate, screaming and staggering in relation to it's pilot's condition.

The screaming and noise became more and more chaotic. Every speaker exploded inside the NERV foward headquarters, and still, the night was filled with screaming, of such a force that the hills themselves began shaking...

* * *

Shinji looked up from where he was standing to see the bluest sky he had ever seen in his life. That somehow struck him as odd, because he could remember being very distressed over something happening to his eyes very recently. But the specific memory just wasn't coming. 

Why was he here? He looked around. He was on a deserted street, standing across from a machanic's garage. It kind of felt like a weekend. Maybe that was why no one was about.

There was something in the garage he had to pick up, something important. He walked up to the door. Hanging above the door was a small sign. It read:

**EVANGELION UNIT 01**

That struck him as a strange name for a mechanic's shop, but whatever. He rapped on the metal door. A woman, grease stained, opened the door and looked at him.

There was something intensely familiar about her. What the hell was it? Shinji felt like it was important he remember who this woman was. He was sure he had seen her before.

"You're Shinji Ikari." the woman said, her voice betraying an odd familiarity he could not place. "Your car is ready. Please come in." she grabbed him and pulled him inside, off the street.

When had Shinji owned a car? He could not remember ever even driving a car, much less owning one. But something told him that a car,_ his _car, was what he had come in for.

"I did'nt have a lot of time, Shinji, but I fixed your car." The woman said. He looked at her coveralls. The name _Yui_ was stenciled on the front. Why was that name familiar to him? It struck him as terribly important.

"Refresh my memory. What was wrong with my car again?"

"Don't you remember?" the woman asked, a strange expression on her face. "You brought this car to me because the headlights were out. You were unable to see. Blind, in fact. But as you can see, I repaired the damage. You can see again."

"Ok...thanks?"

"No problem. I also did some...modifications, some refinements to the engine and body. Made them stronger. More work will need to be done in the future, however. But this will do for now." Again, she had that strange look on her face.

"Can you show me?"

"Sure." she said. She led Shinji to the front of his car and popped the hood. It came as no surprise to him that the engine looked like a metallic brain. "So what did you do?" he asked. "I don't see much of a difference."

"I reworked the reaction time, speeded up processing speed, the neural tissues fire at least twice as quickly now. All in all, the engine is quicker. But as I said, more work will have to be done in the future."

"Ok. What about the body? I don't see that much of a difference."

"Cosmetically, the body is the same, but structurally, it is quite strong. The superstructure has been reinforced, the joints, the muscles...everything. This vehicle is exponentially stronnger than it was in the past."

"Cool...cool. Can I take it now? I kinda have places I have to be, Miss...Yui."

"Don't say my name!" the woman, "Yui", suddenly barked. She softened. "My name...is unimportant. Only the work was important."

"Yui...Yui...why does that name sound familiar to me?"

Suddenly, the woman reached up and grabbed Shinji's head. Shinji noticed that his vision seemed to fuzz out for a second, like a bad TV picture. The word REW appeared in the corner of his vision, and the world appeared to run backwards for a moment. The word PAUSE then appeared, and the world appeared to stop. Next, the word ERASE appeared in the corner of his vision, and a snowy effect, much like a bad TV signal, enveloped his vision...

Shinji shook the cobwebs out of his head. What had he been talking about? Whatever. It must not have been important. "Miss?' the mechanic looked up at him. "Is there anything else?'

"Yes, there is. If you'll look at your car registration, make sure everything is in order..." she handed him a computer printout. Shinji looked at it a moment, before laughing.

My car...my car is named _Shinji Ikari_? That's kinda funny..." Shinji continued reading...

**_MODEL NX-01 "Shinji Ikari"_**

**_Current Design Cycle: 14 years old_**

**_Currently only one model ever produced_**

**_Features include:_**

**_High-level martial arts training in:_**

**_Shokotan_**

**_Muay-Thai Kickboxing_**

**_Israeli Krav-Maga_**

**_Judo_**

**_Boxing_**

**_Proficient in:_**

_**Gymnastics**_

_**Firearms-recent addition (small arms, rifles, light machine weapons, sniper rifles. additions in further weaponry areas pending??)**_

_**Classical Music**_

_**Cooking**_

_**Cleaning**_

_**Shipped to Osaka 5+ years after inital unveiling, recently transported to Tokyo-3, commissioned by NERV, a subsidiary of Gendo Ikari Industries**_

_**NEW FEATURES:**_

_**Improved response time**_

_**Increased adrenaline, dopamine levels, etc.**_

_**Muscular system enhanced by 4.3 percent**_

_**Enhanced visual system...visual acuity, etc. increased by 14 percent **_

_**Limbic system, skeletal system, etc. adjusted to compensate to increased and more efficient functions**_

_**Alterations deemed necessary for...future endeavors**_

_**Further adjustments may be made when necessary**_

_**NOTES: Minor design flaws made visible in relation to Gendo Ikari Industries...high degree of probability flaws can be corrected in time for Final Movement**_

Shinji folded the paper and gave it back to the woman. "Everything seems to be in order. If you'll open up your garage door, I'll take my car and be out of your hair."

"I'm afraid I can't do that just yet."

"Why not?"

"I-I would like to come with you, wherever you're going."

"What?! Miss, that's completely out of the question. I have something...important I have to get back to. I've spent too much time here as it is."

"This place...I have spent too much time in this place. Please, will you take me with you? I will not cause you any trouble. I-I-I just need to get out, if only for a little while."

"Miss, I think there's only enough room in there for one person, and that person has to be me."

"I added a second seat, you see? It will be a tight fit, but there's enough room for both of us. Please. There's no one else around except for me around here. I need a change of scenery."

"Fine. But any trouble, and you're coming right back, understand?"

"I understand. Just let me change."

Shinji looked away for a moment, and when he saw the woman again, she was dressed in a leather jacket, a red blouse, a pair of jeans, and black boots. Shinji got into the car and waited for the mechanic to close up her shop and roll up the garage door. She shen got in and slid into a smaller seat next to him.

With an ease that confused him, Shinji pulled out of the garage and began driving up the nearby street. Suddenly, he seemed to pick up speed.

"Miss? What's happening?!" there was panic in his voice.

"Don't worry. I won't be any trouble to you at all. I promised...

* * *

The ground stopped shaking, and the screaming stopped. Shinji opened his eyes. He was in Unit 01's Entry Plug, fighting the Fifth Angel with Rei. Odd. He felt as if he had been somewhere else. It must have been in his head. Shinji's eyes felt itchy. He would deal with that later. 

He looked around. He seemed to have dropped the positron rifle. He reached for it and Unit 01 picked it up. He sighted through it. The lock on systems were destroyed, but he could still sight through the rifle perfectly. He saw the Fifth Angel in the distance. It appeared damaged, and seemed to be attempting a retreat, to heal itself and try again. Not on his watch.

Was'nt there something he had been told about gravity and the curve of teh Earth affecting the shot? Shinji remembered that. Suddenly, Shinji's vision seemed to...shift into blue. Shinji could see a bright blue line, extending from his rifle barrel towards the Angel. Shinji sighted along this glowing line, and fired, The positron beam traveled along the arc of the blue line.

The Angel got a shot off before it's destruction, but Rei stepped in and covered Shinji, the force of the Angel's last attack melting the shield in it's entirety and striking Unit 00, melting it's orange armor. The Fifth Angel was then cored by Shinji's shot, and fell to earth in flames.

After disengaging from Unit 01, Shinji leapt out of his Entry Plug and ran towards Unit 00. He pressed the emergency release built into the neck area, and Unit 00's Entry Plug slid out. Shinji grabbed onto the hatch built into the Plug, and began to pull. With a light tearing of metal, the hatch came off, releasing a flood of LCL.

_Faulty manufacturing..._ Shinji thought. It had not taken much effort to pry off the hatch when he put his mind to it. Tossing away the hatch door, Shinji reached inside and pulled out a weak Rei. She was sweating profusely, and was red and flushed by the heat of the Angel's attack.

With a cough, Rei regained consciousness. Shinji lay her down on the grass and sat next to her, trying to keep Rei conscious.

Shinji turned around, feeling someone was close. It was the woman. Now, she wore a white business suit with white heels. She looked around her, and then looked at Shinji.

"It's been so long...free again...I promise you, You will not regret this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Then she shimmered and dissapeared.

"Ikari," Rei said weakly, "who is that woman?"


	8. Red Devil Pt 1

_I want you to explain this to me again. From the top._

Shinji was in his room in Misato's apartment, getting dressed. He had a big day today. Misato had asked him to accompany her when she went to greet the Second Child, who was arriving by ship from Germany today. But first, he had some things to settle.

**_I've explained this to you three times already. You just aren't listening._**

_I'm listening just fine. You :__st aren't explaining our 'arrangement' to my satisfaction. And why do we have to talk like this again?_

Shinji looked in his mirror. In the reflection appeared the woman, dressed in the same white business suit as before. Her mouth did not move, but Shinji could hear her speak.

_****__I for one would think it very suspect if you spoke to me out loud, where everyone could hear. Just think what you want to say, and I will hear you._ Her voice chimed somewhat melodically in Shinji's head.

___Something else we have to cover. Why could Rei see you? That was confusing, to say the least. _

___**I honestly don't know. Only you should be able to see me. I'm manipulating the visual fields of your eyesight in order for you to see me.**_

___Manipulating the visual fields...? I don't know how much of this I like. Everyone was asking a lot of questions I could not answer about that night. Rei was asking a lot of questions..about what happened...about you...what was I supposed to say?_

___**Say nothing. If you believe nothing else, believe that I am for you. I am on your side in this. Explaining everything at this point would be...difficult. Not even I understand everything.**_

___I certainly feel...better that before. Stronger. I noticed I was faster during my training this morning._

___**I think you will need it. But still...what I have done...was not enough. I did not have enough time...**_

___Have enough time for what?_

___**That's not important for you to know right now.**_

___You're just like everyone else...keeping things from me. I hate that._

___**I have my reasons. But you must believe me. I have only your best interests at heart in this.**_

___That'll do...for now._

* * *

___  
_Shinji felt his mind depressurize slightly, and he was alone again. A knock on his door caught his attention. 

"Shinji..." a muffled voice called. Misato. "You ready yet? Now where are those friends of yours? You know I was being nice when I allowed them to come along. Where are they?"

"They'll be here shortly." Shinji called. He slid open his door. Misato was waiting outside. Shinji stepped out and pounted to a sign that Misato had attached to his door.

"_ 'Shinji's Lovely Suite_'. Was that really necessary, Misato? Lovely is'nt the first thing that comes to mind when I think about myself or my stuff."

"Oh come on. I think it's cute. Ohhh. You're looking pretty cute yourself, Mister. You fill out a suit well."

Shinji stood uncomfortably as Misato circled him, appraising him. He wore an off white suit with a midnight black shirt and smooth blue tie. Shinji's hair was combed in place, and he wore dark sunglasses. He did fill out the suit quite well, and with style.

Misato poked and prodded him, cooing and sqealing in delight. Sinally Shinji walked to the door and put on his shoes, dark brown shoes of Italian manufacture. "Can we go?"

Misato frowned. "Grouch." She opened the apartment door. Waiting in the hallway were Kensuke and Toji, who leapt to their feet upon seeing Misato.

"Good to see you again, Ms. Katsuragi." Kensuke said.

"It was great of you to let us come, Misato." Toji said, a dreamlike smile on his face.

"No problem boys." Misato said, walking down the stairs. "Just don't cause me any trouble, OK?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" they both said simultaeneously. They were jolted back to reality as Shinji loudly shut the apartment door.

"It's never going to happen for either of you, you know." Shinji said, his hands in his pockets.

"What a killjoy. A man can dream, right?" Kensuke said.

"Check out this man here." Toji said, fingering Shinji's suit. "Biiiiig spender."

Shinji slapped Toji's hand away. "Gotta spend money to look this decent. You know that. Not all of us can pull off a tracksuit look like you, Toji." Toji frowned.

"I can't thank you enough for getting Misato to let us come along." Kensuke said. "The UN Pacific Fleet! Those ships are classics!"

"Whatever. Just don't embarrass me, alright?" Shinji walked down the stairs after Misato, Toji and Kensuke right behind him.

* * *

Shinji knew that Kensuke loved anything associated with the military, but the boy seemed out of control. Shinji was comfortably in his seat inside the NERV helicopter as Kensuke kept moving around the cabin, taking shots of the ocean and the UN battleships and carriers in the distance with his camera.

**_In my day, they called what that kid has ADD. _**Shinji felt her familar presence speaking to him again. He chuckled. That was actually funny.

_When was your day anyway? _he asked. He found no answer, as he felt her presence diminish inside him.

"Something funny?" Misato said, looking at him with concern. Shinji had the feeling that she knew that something was up, ever since that day he fought against the Fifth Angel. How he had recovered from a seemingly debilitating attack was still under investigation, and Misato was not one to easily let things go. Neither was Ritsuko.

"Just...things in general, Misato. Nothing to worry about."

"All right then." Misato turned back to what she had been doing, but looked at him from time to time with a worried expression on her face.

* * *

Stepping out of the dark cabin of the helicopter to the bright light of midday was somewhat disorienting. Shinji was glad that he wore his sunglasses. Misato also pulled out a pair, and Toji and Kensuke had no choice but to shield their eyes with their hands. Misato led them through a doorway into a stairwell, leading to a lower deck of the UN flagship. Shinji could see in the darkness Toji pulling out a baseball cap from his back pocket and shoving it on.

Suddenly, Shinji felt a lurching feeling inside his chest, similar to indigestion. There was no pain, but there was a..._dropping_ feeling, or a pulling feeling. It was very strange. He felt as if he was being...led somewhere. Suddenly, for a fraction of a second, he saw a small...egg would be the best way to describe it, with some kind of embryo inside of it. Before the image faded, he saw the embryo jerk or spasm. Why it was doing so was a mystery to him.

**_You felt that? That was...strange. I feel as if whatever that was, it was familiar, somehow. It's close, whatever it is. You have to try and stay alert, and fight through whatever it's pulling you with. Shinji, you understand?_**

Shinji felt the pressure in his mind increase, as if waiting for a response. "I-I understand..." he whispered. He regained his bearings and began walking foward again, towards the lower open observation deck where everyone else was.

As Shinji stepped out, he heard Toji yelp out as a sudden draft of wind knocked his hat off and sent it skittering on the deck. Toji chased after it until a foot in yellow flip-flops crashed down on it.

Looking down at Toji was a girl, around the same age as Shinji, wearing a yellow sundress. She had dark red hair that looked quite striking in the sunlight. She held attention with a very commanding stare, with a fire of either madness or extreme confidence behind deep blue eyes.

"Look at you." she drawled. "Chasing after your cap like a little dog after a bone. Bark for me, little doggy, and I'll give you your bone back." an imperious grin broke over her face.

"Don't be difficult." Toji yelled. "Just give me back my hat."

"Say _please_." she moaned in a low voice.

Before Toji could say anything, a sharp wind swept over the ship, blowing the redhead's dress up. What was underneath was plain for all to see.

"BAKA HENTAI!!!" the girl screamed in rage, before slapping and hitting both Kensuke and Toji.

"What the hell was that for?!" Toji yelled.

"As if you don't know, you stooge! I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, the Greatest Show on Earth! You want to see it, you have to pay the price."

"You'll see something, all right." Toji grumbled. He grabbed his pants and pulled them down. The disgusted look on Asuka's face was priceless. "There's a show, all right." Toji said.

Slowly, the look of disgust and horror changed on Asuka's face to one of rage. She raised her hand to strike Toji again. Suddenly, she was pulled off balance and placed in an arm lock.

"I think you're done hitting people." Shinji said. He held Asuka in a soft lock, enough so she would'nt hit Toji again.

"You-you bastard! Let me out, godammit!"

Shinji released his hold on Asuka's arm, and she began rubbing it to get the feeling back in it.

Shinji walked up to Toji. He looked surprised that Shinji had stopped this crazy girl so easily.

Shinji said only one thing to him. "Pull your pants up, man. No one wants to see that." There was a slight grin on his face as he said it. Toji pulled his pants up, a grin on his face. He seemed happy that someone had stopped the redheaded demon, as he already thought of her.

Shinji turned back around to face Asuka. She was panting hard, seemingly to psych herself up for something. Her face was registering increasing levels of anger and fury. She was seeing red, and Shinji was her target. Shinji knew that in a situation like this, the best thing to do would be to defuse this...time bomb of a girl. But...he reflected. Was the best thing always the most fun? He thought not. He took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket.

"So." Shinji said, looking Asuka in the eyes. "The _Great_ Asuka Langley Soryu, huh? I personally don't think flapping your ass to the world is _great_, per se, but maybe you and I have different definitions."

He heard the sharp intake of breath from everyone present, right before ducking as a foot came speeding at his head.

He heard Asuka grunting as she continued to strike out at him, failing every time. He had shifted her off focus, and she was just operating on rage. She clawed at his eyes, a strike which he quickly ducked back out of. She kept pressing him back with wild, uncoordinated strikes, a wild, furious look in her eyes. She was quick, he noted, and she had similar training in martial arts like him, but he had succeeded in pushing her off axis quite easily. If she had been on point, she would not be telegraphing her strikes to openly for him to see.

Shinji reversed course, coming back at her. He did not strike, but with every punch or kick she threw at him, he pressed into her zone of defense, causing Asuka to become off balance. Finally, as she struck out at him again, Shinji grabbed an arm and moved her into a trapping manuever, trapping her arms at her sides and lifting her slightly off the ground. Shinji fely distantly her bare feet, as she had kicked off her sandals, hitting him in the shins. She was struggling quite violently. Shinji thought for a second it was a wild animal in his grip.

"Hey," he said, addressing Asuka. "You finished?" She began struggling against his hold even more at that, but finally went limp. Shinji finally let her down. She stood and smoothed her clothes. She then looked at him and slapped him.

"You son of a bitch," she hissed. "No one does that to me. No one!" she then stormed off back into the ship. Misato looked at Shinji a moment, and then ran after her.

Shinji turned around at the sound of someone clapping. A man, early thirties, was appraching him. He had his hair in a short ponytail, and had a five o'clock shadow. He was smoking.

"I've known Asuka a long time, but that's the first time I've ever seen someone shut her up. This will go down in the history books for sure."

"And you are?"

"Call me Kaji. You're Shinji Ikari, aren't you? The Third Child. You've got some sharp moves. And you did'nt even wrinkle your suit. That's style, all right."

"Thanks, man. Let's go in already. I'm hungry." Shinji headed to the same doorway Asuka and Misato had gone through.

As he was walking, Toji and Kensuke patted him on the back.

"Fuckin'-A, man." Toji said. "Fuckin'-A."


	9. Deep Sixed Pt 2

Misato was waiting when Shinji steped into the galley of the ship. What was the name of this ship, the UN flagship, again? Oh yeah, the _Over the Rainbow_. Misato gently, but firmly pulled Shinji over to the side.

"I'm not apologizing." Shinji said, looking Misato square in the eye.

"So stubborn-the both of you. Asuka is ready to cook your balls for breakfast, you know that? You're number one on her shit list, five minutes after meeting her. That's some kind of record."

"What can I say? She seems like a very...physical person. Well you know what? I'm physical too." Shinji cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect. "And as for her cooking _my_ balls for breakfast, all I can say is that the day that happens, you will be in for _quite_ a show."

"Be that as it may, can you at least be civil? You two have to work together, after all."

"I can't make any promises."

"Just...look. If you see she's going to blow up, don't poke her, for God's sake. I'm the one that had to deal with...the unpleasantness afterwards. You should have heard some of the things that came out of her mouth...! She is certainly not the same girl I met in Germany all of those years ago."

"Was she a bitch then too?"

"_That's _what I'm talking about! Can you keep things like that to yourself? If the two of you are going to beat the shit out of each other, just don't do it today. Please? For me?"

"Fine. For you." Shinji took a seat at the dining table where Kaji, Toji and Kensuke had already taken a seat. Misato went into a side room. Everyone pretended not to hear loud, muffled yelling behind the door. Seconds later, Misato came out, followed by a seething Asuka. They took seats at the table, with Misato at the head, and Asuka taking a place directly across from Shinji, who leaned foward and returned Asuka's stare.

The silence was broken by a server who wheeled forth a cart and placed several platters of food on the table. Half of the platters were Western dishes,the other half were Japanese dishes. Asuka stood up and unveiled one platter, a steaming roast ham, honey glazed. She then picked up a carving knife and fork. Looking straight at Shinji, Asuka began to slide them back and forth over one another, creating a low metallic scraping sound. She continued to look at Shinji as she did this, a small grin appearing on her face.

Shinji took a sip of water, seemingly unconcerned. "Is there a problem?" he asked. The scraping stopped. "Please," he gestured at the ham. "cut it up before it gets cold. Even slices, please."

With gritted teeth, Asuka began cutting the ham, her slicing becoming more and more violent. She finally finished, and motioned to take the first slice. She was intercepted by Shinji's fork, which took the first slice. He bit into it, chewed, and swallowed. "Very good," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "My compliments to the chef. Something wrong?" Asuka was snapped out of staring at him with murder in her eyes. "Eat up. It's very good." Asuka took a slice and began absentmindedly eating, still fixated on him.

"So, Shinji," Kaji broke the silence. "Is Misato...still good in bed?"

Misato had an extreme reaction to Kaji's question, turning beet red and gritting her teeth. Toji and Kensuke both looked as if they were about to have aneurysms. Asuka's expression never wavered.

Shinji looked at Misato, who was mouthing _don't answer_.

"_Still_ good in bed?...hmmm. That's a tough one. When was she not? I'll have to say this. She _is _good, but she _could _be better. Drinking Yebisu beer all of the time puts her out like a light, which is a_ real downer_ for me..."

Misato looked as she was trying to hide and burrow into her seat. She was so embarrassed...

Kaji clapped again and chuckled. "I like you. You know your way around words, which is always a rare gift. You should watch this one, Misato. He's a keeper." Kaji got up and went to the bathroom.

"Why the long faces, everyone?" Shinji asked. "We have this feast in front of us here, let's dig in." Shinji began serving himself from the other platters, and soon everyone else did the same.

* * *

After a lunch that was puncuated by awkward silences, everyone went their own way to wander around the ship. Toji and Kensuke went with Misato, as they were civilians and areas of the ship were barred to them. Kaji seemingly disappeared, and Shinji found himself in the lower levels, outside the cargo bay. 

Stepping into Cargo Bay 01, Shinji saw a red EVA, suspended inside a stasis tank. The tank was filled with a red liquid that was supposed to stabilize the EVA's biological components. Shinji could see the word '02' painted n the EVA's right arm. The EVA had a slightly alien look to it, with four eyes mounted.

"Impressed?"

Shinji turned around to see a barefooted Asuka coming towards him, arms crossed.

"I think the question is, has it been battle tested?"

"I have undergone training with Unit 02 for most of my life. It is...an extension of my will. This is unlike your unstable prototypes at NERV. The 'mistakes'of the past have been rectified, and all flaws in teh design addressed. This EVA has onboard weaponry, and superior armor and targeting systems. The...pinnacle of technology."

"The pinnacle of technology? You don't say? Well all that training you've done in the past, presumably against conventional forces in exercises, doesn't mean anything. An Angel will not come at you the same way as a human would. Piloting an EVA against an Angel...it requires you to...think on your feet. Can you do that?"

Before Asuka could respond, the ship was rocked by an impact. The hull groaned and shrieked against the opposing force. The reinforced glass of the stasis tank began to crack. Quickly, Shinji grabbed Asuka and ran towards a ladder leading up to the upper levels of the cargo bay. Asuka momentarily struggled, unsure as to what Shinji was doing, but stilled when the stasis tank broke and the cargo bay's lower level was flooded.

Climbing up to the catwalk, Shinji set Asuka down, and headed to a nearby ship's intercom. He punched in the code for the bridge.

* * *

Misato and everyone else on the _Over the Rainbow's_ bridge turned towards the beeping intercom. Misato activated it.

_"This is Shinji."_ came out. _"I'm trapped in the cargo bay with Asuka. The lower level is flooded. Is this an Angel attack?"_

The captain consulted with his officers, and then whispered to Misato.

"That is confirmed, Shinji. Radar has scanned a mass, organic, moving at high speeeds beneath out fleet. It rammed the ship. It's already taken out three battleships."

_"Send us out to engage it."_

_**What are you doing?**_ pulsed through his mind. **_The EVAs were NOT designed to fight underwater. We'll drown!_**

_"I have a game plan." _Shinji said. _"Transfer power down here so Unit 02 can activate."_

"I will not." the captain said. "I will not endanger this fleet for some half-baked idea." Just as he said this, another ship exploded and sank.

"As Operations Director of NERV, I am taking emergency command of this situation." Misato said. "Transfer power to the cargo bay in order to activate Unit 02."

The captain gave Misato a dirty look, but complied.

* * *

There was a _crackle_ of power and Shinji saw the EVA's eyes light up with electricity in the stasis tank.

"This way," Asuka pulled Shinji toward a side locker room. She opened one, and too out two red plugsuits. She tossed one to Shinji. "Put that on."

Examining it, Shinji saw the suit had been reinforced around the breasts and the groin. Definitely a female plugsuit. He would have to swallow his pride. Disrobing, as you had to wear a plugsuit naked, he gently placed his suit in a locker. He saw asuka stealing a look at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention. He could tell she liked what she saw, even if she hated him.

He adjusted the controls on the wrist, and the plugsuit tightened. As he thought, it was too tight around the groin, and loose in the chest. "Something interesting you looking at?" he asked Asuka. She snapped away from looking at him. "This way, _baka_." They ran back outside and around the catwalk towards the back of Unit 02. Pressing a control, Unit 02's Ebntry Plug opened, and they climbed in.

Shinji drifted in the LCL behind Asuka, who took her pilot's seat. She began activating the EVA, but suddenly Japanese letters began showing up on the displays.

"Idiot!" Asuka yelled. ""You're thinking in Japanese! The EVA is set for German!"

"All right!" He shot back. "Lederhosen, strudel, sauerkraut..."

"Never mind." Asuka tapped a control, and the readouts switched into Japanese language mode. _Bitch,_ Shinji thought. _Why did'nt you do that in the first place?_

Unit 02 stood up. Asuka disengaged it's progressive knife from it's shoulder holster and cut a hole in the cargo bay ceiling, and then leapt out onto the main deck. She then pulled up a good length of power umbilical cable from below.

The sky was suddenly darkened by a shadow, as the sixtrh Angel, which looked like a fish, leapt out of the water and opened it's maw, grabbing Unit 02 and pulling it into the sea.

* * *

The pressure monitors inside the EVA were increasing and blaring alarms as the Angel dragged Asuka and Shinji farther and farther below the water. Asuka was frantically trying to move her EVA, banging on the controls.

"You said your EVA has weapons." Shinji yelled. Asuka looked at him.

"Yeah, a needle gun and a grenade launcher."

Shinji looked outside. The creatures mouth was immense. Lodged inside it's mouth, stuck in it's teeth were pieces of the battleships it had already destroyed. Shinji had an idea. Perhaps the ammo for those battleship's guns were still viable.

"Shoot a grenade at that battleship," Shinji said, pointing at a ship lodged the closest to the Angel's core, which was imbedded in it's throat. Unit 02's arm raised, and a compartment opened. There was a miniscule explosion as the grenade was shot at the disabled battleship, but when it struck, the effects were immediate. The ship went up like a bomb, shooting hot metal everywhere. The Angel's core was pitted and fractured, until it stopped glowing and the beast became still.

* * *

Misato, Toji, Kensuke, and the bridge staff were silent, waiting. Finally, the Angel broke the surface and began drifting. A cheer went up as it was seemingly dead. Suddenly, a circular cut appeared in it's side and out climbed Unit 02, covered with viscera, but intact and victorious, holding it's progressive knife.

A boat was sent to retrieve the two pilots, and several tender ships were sent to retrieve Unit 02.

As Misato waited in the deck for the boat to come back with Shinji and Asuka, she spied in the distance Kaji getting into a plane at the far end of the ship, holding a black box. Where had he gone to, all this time? The plane sped off, but Misato would have to investigate this more in the future.

* * *

"Not a goddamm word." Shinji said, as Kensuke taped him with his camera wearing Asuka's spare plugsuit, and Toji was trying to keep a straight face, as was Misato.

Shinji and Asuka stalked off to the cargo bay to get their clothes. Asuka ran ahead of Shinji and nearly knocked him down.

_Enough of this shit. _Shinji ran after her.

* * *

Shinji walked in and shut the locker room door behind him.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"What the fuck is _my _problem? What the fuck is your problem? All I heard about, last couple weeks was about the _great_ Third Child. Trashed an Angel first time out. Incredible synch ratio. I was_ sick_ of it. After meeting you, I'm not impressed."

"This is not about impressing you. This is not a competition."

"Bullshit! Everything is a competition! Man against Angels, me against you."

"You against me, huh?' Shinji grabbed Asuka's arm and slammed her against the lockers, shaking them. "You want to come at me? You want to throw down? Let's get to it then. I just _might_ surprise you."

Asuka pushed against the lockers, launching herself and Shinji towards the other side of the room, slamming him into the lockers on the other side. She grabbed his balls and began licking his neck in an extremely sexual manner. She stopped after several seconds.

"You better treasure that." she said, straightening her dress. "That's the _only_ time in your pitiful life that will _ever_ happen."

"Like I would want that again," Shinji said, wiping off his neck. "You're one fucked-up bitch, you know that?"

"We'll see," she said, a loopy smile on her face. "you're the one wearing a woman's plugsuit." She opened the locker room door. "_Auf Wiedershen_, fucker." She then slammed the door behind her.

Shinji cupped his balls. Blue balls, after ten seconds of stimulation. How embarrassing. He took off the plugsuit and threw it in a corner. He had _some _difficulty putting on his pants.

Asuka Langley Soryu...she seemed determined to beat him, whatever that was worth. If blue balls and shaking her ass at him was all she had to fuck with him with, he would'nt have much of a problem. But she did have some moves, that was for sure...


	10. Demonslaying Pt 1

**I will try to keep spelling errors down to a minimum for all readers. That always seems to be a problem, as I type quite quickly. I will try and put in at least 2-3 new chapters before Dec. 14, when I have to leave my college for Christmas break, when I have a month off.**

Shinji got up out of bed and stretched his muscles. He performed a few _katas _to get the kinks out. Straight kicks, roundhouses, grounded strikes. His reaction time since he made contact with that...consciousness inside of his EVA during the engagement with the Fifth Angel several weeks ago seemed to be dramatically improved, along with many of his other skills. His vision for example, seemed sharper than it had ever been in his life. Shinji vaguely remembered being...blinded by the Angel's energy attacks. The disorientation, the fear, the sheer surprise of the turn of events had opened up...something in the EVA. Something that had come back with him to the real world. There was still this overwhelming sense of familiarity with...whoever she was. It seemed vitally important that he remember who this woman was, and what she meant to him. But whenever he tried, he kept drawing a blank, a complete zero. This whole situation, and especially how it was connected to Rei Ayanami, was something that Shinji would have to make a priority.

Rei herself seemed a priority to him for some reason. Getting close to her, knowing her better, also seemed like something he was...driven to do.

Then there was Asuka.

She had started school in Tokyo-3 several days ago, and made a definite impression. Shinji thought that impression was similar to the one a bomb made after it impacted. Practically every male, and some of the females, were drooling over her. She had...to say that her personality was domineering was to put it lightly. She quickly became attached with Hikari, the class represenative, and now they went everywhere together.

But beyond this, she seemed fixated on butting heads with Shinji. The fact that he would not bend to her will like so many others seemed to irk her into a perpetual red haze. It did seem quite easy for him to stay out of her gravitational pull. They would constantly bump into each other in the hallways in school, and several physcical encounters had been forcibly averted by the intervention of Hikari or Toji and Kensuke. But..._something_ seemed determined to happen. The both of them knew it. There was something there, definitely physical. Which way it would go, positive or negative, seemed up to fate.

Shinji got out of his room and showered. He then dressed for school and then began breakfast in the kitchen. He put out a plate of fish for Pen Pen, and began cooking for Misato and himself. Several minutes later, Misato walked into the kitchen, dressed in only a tank top and underwear. Under other circumstances, the two of them would have been uncomfortable with their living arrangements, a beautiful drunk and a juvenile in his hormonal prime living under one roof. But somehow, things were kept under control, and their relationship was friendly, even slightly familial.

Shinji put a plate in front of her and opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, which he also placed in front of her. She seemed to perk up once she began drinking up. She then dug into her food.

"So," she said, talking while she ate. "How are things at school?"

"School's..school. You know? Stupid shit, day in, day out. It's more fun hanging out with my friends. And Asuka is taking over the school. Beyond that, things are going fine."

"Taking over the school? Explain yourself."

"The girl definitely makes an impression. But I'm the only one, besides Ayanami who sees that that impression is not a good one. Everyone seems to be under her...spell, hanging onto her. She tried that with Ayanami a couple of days ago, and became quite violent when Ayanami was not immediately impressed, or cared at all. Since then, Asuka keeps calling rei 'Wondergirl'. I can tell Rei doesn't like that."

"Ohh. How can you tell what Rei likes and dislikes?"

"I can read people. I think there's definitely more to her than she lets on."

"Just wharever you do, be careful. The Commander is extremely protective of that girl. Keep things PG-13 with her."

"The Commander, you say? Now I have to do it."

"Do what?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Somehow, everyone got through the first half of the school day and made it to lunch. Everyone was quickly out of their classrooms and in the cafeteria and outside areas, enjoying the sunshine. As usual, Rei was sitting in a dark corner of the cafeteria, eating plain ramen in a cup. She looked up as Shinji approached. 

"Ikari."

"How's things, Rei?"

"I am...healthy. Beyond that, nothing worth reporting."

"Cool...cool. Look, do you want to eat with us? I mean me and Toji and Kensuke? We always hang out under that big apple tree on the hill during lunch?"

"Why? And what do you do?"

"It's...relaxing, alright? And we don't do anything. We just eat and stare at the sky. There are worse ways to kill time."

"Why ask me?'

"Why not ask you? It's important, so I'm asking."

"Important? Me? Why do you care?"

'I care becaue Man was not meant to eat bland ramen in a dark cafeteria. You know you're the only one in here? Everyone else is outside."

"Yes, I know. I dislike crowds."

"It won't be a crowd. It'll be four people, including you. Can you do that?"

"I...can. But why me?"

"Let's say I like the fact that you can think for yourself. Asuka does'nt like that, but I do."

"Think for myself...?"

"Are you all right? You zoned out there for a second."

"I..am fine. Thank you. That was...kind of you to say. Interactions with the Second Child have been...difficult, to say the least."

"I think difficult is just the way she likes it. Come on, you coming or not?"

* * *

"You've brought a guest, Shinji." 

"Yes, I did, Toji. Nothing has changed. Business as usual. You can relax. You too, Kensuke. Rei, just take a seat anywhere."

Rei sat beneath the tall apple tree on the hill overlooking the school. Down below, everyone was hanging out in the yard, the roof of the school, smoking, playing, being nonchalant.

The shade beneath the tree was cool, pleasing to Rei. sitting outside was not something Rei would have done on her own, neither was sitting with others. Shinji seemed similar to asuka, with a force of personality. Perhaps that was why the two of then clashed so often. Two strong wills like theirs would be in constant conflict. But Shinji did not use his personality like Asuka did, as a bludgeon to beat others with. Perhaps this waas why she agreed to come with him.

Suddenly, the mood seemed to darken, as Asuka approached them, followed by Hikari. Rei noticed that everyone outside stopped what they were doing to watch what was going to happen.

Shinji got up from lying on the grass. He met Asuka's stare. "You want something?"

"I'm not here for you, Third. I'm here for him." Kensuke cringed as Asuka pointed at him.

"What-What did _I_ do?"

"You know what you did, you little four-eyed fucker. Selling pictures of me to the whole school! I had to kick quite a few asses to find out it was you, but you and I are going to settle up,_ baka_."

"So what?" Shinji asked.

"So what?" Asuka raged. "I want al least half of the money you made off me, you little fuck wad. Consider it...a delay on an ass kicking."

"You know, if you're going to shake him down, at least say that you're going to do so."

"I'm not shaking him down! He crossed me, now he has to pay the price."

"He's not paying you a goddammed thing."

"What did you say, Third?!"

"He's not paying you a goddamm thing. No one's getting hurt by this. Kensuke, let me see your pictures." Kensuke opened his school bag and handed Shinji several packets of pictures. Shinji spent several minutes examining them.

"I don't see anything wrong with them. The most anyone can see of you is a little leg when you're in your volleyball uniform."

"I don't care! You're giving up those pictures, and I'm getting that money!"

"You know what, Kensuke? She's getting upset over the pictures. Tell you what. I'll buy the rest of them from you, Kensuke. She doesn't want them distributed, The rest will be in safe hands with me."

Money exchanged hands, and Shinji bought 274 pictures, along with all of Kensuke's negatives.

"There. You happy now?"

"Now give them to me! They're mine!"

"Yours? I bought them. They're mine, free and clear. Hey. Hey! No snatching!"

Asuka was grabbing at Shinji's hands, trying to get the photos away from him. Shinji placed her in another arm lock. This really set her off. Asuka began screaming and kicking. She finally broke free by headbutting Shinji in the mouth.

Shinji wiped the blood from his split lip. "I was trying to be nice, but maybe you need something more...drastic. Something more...profitable." Shinji took the packets of photos and began walking down the hill towards the school yard. Toji went up to say something to him, but Shinji waved him away. Rei watched as a large group of students gathered around Shinji. A great deal of yelling and clamoring could be heard.

Asuka was...floored, to say the least. "He-he would'nt...!" A degree of shock was in her voice and she slid to her knees on the grass. Hikari tried to get her standing, but Asuka was nonresponsive. Kensuke and Toji seemed to grasp what Shinji was doing. Rei saw a slim look of awe on their faces.

After ten minutes, the crowd dispersed, and Shinji walked back up the hill, _sans_ pictures. He took out a wad of money from his pocket and counted. "I made back all I paid you for those pictures, Kensuke, and a little extra. What's wrong?" Shinji looked at Asuka, who seemed unresponsive. She was just staring at him, mouth trying to move, but no words coming out.

"Close your mouth at least, Asuka." Shinji said, a cold feeling suffusing him. "You look like a fish."

"How could you do that?!" Hikari screamed at him. "How could you be so...cold?!"

Shinji looked at his hand. It was slightly shaking. "I..don't know." Shinji walked over at Asuka and stooped down. He waved his fingers in front of her eyes. She was barely tracking him. He snapped his fingers. No response.

"I think I broke her. Wow. Ayanami, can you come here, please?" Rei got up from her seat and stood next to Shinji.

"I think Asuka has realized that no matter how hard you are, they're always someone harder. She came at me, I came back at her. The _way_ I did it, _that _she didn't expect."

Shinji turned around and walked back to where he had been sitting previously. Turning his back on Asuka, he was the only one who didn't notice Asuka stand up. Her expression was barely readable, but her eyes were slitted and narrowed. Shinji turned around, seeing everyone else backing away. Even Ayanami stepped clear.

Asuka sprang at him, like a tiger, murder in her eyes.


	11. INTERMISSION & PLEASE REVIEW

Unfortunately, I wil, have to call a brief hiatus on this story, as I will be away from my college and my computer from Dec. 14 2006 until Jan. 21 2007, my Christmas break. I plan to continue this story and work wholeheartedly on it when I return.

I do have some ideas for future fanfics I want some input on.

1: A Battlestar Galactica 2003 crossover with Halo: Combat Evolved. Please give any input on how you would like such a story to start out and progress, as I am unsure yet.

2: A Battlestar Galactica 2003 crossover with Neon Genesis Evangelion. In this story, the EVAS would be mechas that the Colonials capture from the Cylons. Very powerful, experimental weapons. Rei in this case would be a Cylon replicant, created to pilot the prototype EVA Unit 00, with several hundred clone bodies in the Cylon Ship the EVAS are based out of that the Colonials capture. Shinji and Asuka would be war orphans drafted to pilot Units 01 and 02. They would still be looked after by Misato, but would be commanded by Admiral Adama. The relationships between the piliots would be similar to the anime, with some liberties.

Please give any input on likes/dislikes with these story ideas.

The next chapter will come by the end of January 2007!


	12. Crossed Stars Pt 2

**_I've decided to put in a couple extra chapters before I have to put this story on pause for a month. But please, look at CH. 11 and please evaluate my story ideas and give input. _**

****

Perhaps, shaming Asuka into submission was not one of Shinji's brightest ideas.

The fiery redhead launched herself at him, grabbng his head and slamming it into the apple tree Shinji and Co. had been lying under just a few minutes ago. She slammed his head into the tree with such force that the tree actually shook. A sharp "OOOHHH" came from the crowd assembled a safe distance away. Rei had to be forcibly dragged away by Hikari and Toji. Kensuke had decided to tape the whole thing. "For posterity," he said, but everyone whew he would make copies of the video and sell them to anyone who would buy it.

Shinji got back up on shaky feet, the world spinning and ringing in his ears. he spun around, several afterimages of a smirking Asuka in his vision. He blindly struck out, Asuka ducking and weaving between Shinji's punch-drunk hits. A spin kick reopened his lip and slammed him against the tree again.

"600 yen she knocks him out in the next five minutes." Hikari said. "Any bets?!" A loud chorus of confirming bets sounded, as nearly every student assembled bet on Asuka.

Rei reached into her pocket and pulled out a portion of her personal money. She tapped Hikari and slapped the money into her hand. "I will bet on Ikari. 1000 yen."

"You sure about that, Rei? Asuka's kicking his ass all sorts of new, undiscovered colors right now. AND HE DESERVES IT!!!" Hikari screamed at Shinji, who was on the defensive against Asuka's furious kicks.

"I am...confident that Ikari will make a turnaround."

Toji tapped Kensuke, and they both pulled out money. Kensuke gave all of the money he made selling pictures of Asuka, 9800 yen, and Toji gave 800 yen to Hikari. "We're also betting on Shinji."

"Butt buddies stuck together, eh?" Hikari smirked. "Whatever. Your funeral." Everyone turned back to the fight.

* * *

Shinji finally regained his focus after the sixth kick to the head by Asuka. He caught her foot as she was trying a straight strike and pulled her off balance, hitting her with an elbow to the stomach, driving the wind out of her. She flew back, tumbling about ten feet down the hill before springing back to her feet.

Shinji assumed a stance, evening out his breathing and regaining control. to win this fight, he would have to cut her apart. He knew that ever since his encounter in the EVA during the battle with the Fifth Angel, he was faster, stronger, more focused. But activating that...something extra required an extrordinary level of concentration and adrenaline. Although he was in a fight, he was in no _real_ danger, so he was unable to push himself beyond his limits.

Asuka assumed a kickboxing stance and leaped up, delivering a high strike that cracked Shinji's jaw and sent him back. He touched his jaw. It definitely felt out of sorts after that last strike. Shinji kicked out, catching Asuka in the kneecap, severely hampering her speed. In a one-on-one fight, Shinji was stronger, but Asuka had speed, and quite a right roundhouse.

Taking the offensive, Shinji darted foward, batting aside Asuka's hasty defense and catching her with a right hook to the eye, followed by a kick to the chest that sent her to the ground. Hikari picked her bloodied friend up.

"Motherfucker is actually giving me a run for my money. He's good. Maybe as good as I am."

"As...good as you are? You sure you want to continue this, Asuka? You have a nasty shiner, and what looks like a broken nose."

"Damn right! He hasn't won yet."

With that, Asuka and Shinji ran at one another, delivering one rapid-fire strike after another. They both seemed to have plenty of juice, although Asuka seemed to be panting just a little bit harder.

Reaching up and grabbing Shinji's hair, she pulled him into a knee strike, knocking him back, followed by a quick leg sweep. She then circled around him and stomped on his hand. Something could distinctly be heard popping.

"YOU BITCH!" Toji yelled. "That's dirty fighting!"

"You don't like the game," Asuka panted, puctuating her words with a kick to Shinji's ribs. "DON'T play it with me!" Asuka then reached down and pulled off one of her shoes and hit Shinji in the head with it. Hard. Shinji reached up and belted Asuka in the mouth, knocking her on her ass.

"Shoes, Asuka?" Shinji got back up, blood coming out from a cut on his head.

Shinji kicked Asuka again in the same knee he struck before. A popping sound could be heard, and Asuka's right knee became red and inflamed.

There was a short pause. Both fighters were bloodied, and hurting from several well-placed wounds. The look in their eyes wavered between "keep going" and "shut down". Shinji had a raging headache, and there was a sharp pain in his side. Asuka had to struggle to stand up, and was losing, as her knee was buckling under her. Her chest and eye also felt out of sorts. Both of them wanted nothing more than to lie in a bed and forget their newfound pains.

Suddenly there was movement in the surrounding crowd. Men in black suits and sunglasses barreled through. Section 2 agents. The forced their way to the Second and Third chilsren and dragged them bodily away, all the while Asuka and Shinji were struggling to get back at one another. Before the agents left, one of them grabbed Kensuke's camera and took the memory card, taking all video evidence of the fight. The commotion eventually died down, as the agents bundled Asuka and Shinji into nondescript black SUVs and drove away.

"So what was it?" Toji asked. "Who won?"

"It was a tie." Kensuke yelled. 'A TIE!" Everyone assembled groaned. A tie meant no one got rich off of this, as there was no ascertained winner. With a sigh, Hikari began handing everyone back their money. The crowd quickly broke up. Rei stayed behind a moment. A tie. Shinji was at least evenly matched with that...redheaded harpie. That satisfied her for now. Shinji was a man of action, similar to the Commander, yet different...Her feelings toward him were different than what she felt towards the Commander. Shinji was...emotional, not burned out and distant and controlling like the Coommander. She picked up Shinji's school bag and took it back with her to class.

* * *

Later that night, after several hours of much needed medical attention, Shinji and Asuka were seated in Misato's living room, bandaged and stiched up. Asuka was on crutches, and had a cast on her leg that would remain for at least a week. She also had her nose fixed and set to heal. Shinji's ribs were taped up, and a cast was on his left hand, setting his broken fingers. Both pilots would be fully healed in about two weeks. Playing on the television was Kensuke's film of their fight. They both had to admit, they both had unleashed some brutal moves on one another. The tape was quite violent.

Tapping her remote control, Misato paused the playback. She then got up and got her service holster with her pistol. Sitting back down across from them, she pulled out her pistol and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Misato then took a long swig of beer and then looked at them.

"You two want to kill each other, one of you, pick up that gun. I know both of you have extensive experience with firearms. After all, NERV trained the both of you. What, no takers? The two of you prefer hand to hand? Oh, I forgot. The two of you fucked each other up quite royally. You're out of school for the next two weeks recuperating, and neither of you can train in your condition. Or fight each other."

"He started it-"

"I never met a bigger and more deserving bitch in my-"

Their arguing was cut short by Misato slamming an empty beer can on the table. "Enough. I've talked it over with the Commander, and we came up with a solution. The two of you are pilots. Your own personal issues are irrelevant. If you can't get along in school, how the hell can you watch out for each other on the battlefield, against the Angels?!"

Silence.

"Effective immediately, Asuka Langely Soryu, you have become my responsibility. You will live here, in the second guest room, for the remainder of your posting here in Tokyo-3. Your belongings will arrive here in the morning."

"You can't possibly expect me to live with this _baka_, Misato-"

"I have to see that fucking face every morning, Misato, I can guarantee you_ something_ will happen-"

"The decision is final. The two of you are locked into it. Those are your orders. Live together. When this is all over, no Angels, no extinction of mankind, you still want to kill one another, be my guest. I'll even referee. Until then, live with it. Now go to bed. i'm tired of looking at your smashed up faces." Misato chuckled at her joke and stumbled off to her room and shut the door. Shinji and Asuka got up, glaring at one another, before hobbling off to their respective rooms.

* * *

Around midnight, Shinji got up, awakened by the sound of crying. Struggling to his feet, Shinji slid open his door to see Asuka, lying on the floor outside of the bathroom, crying. She had fallen off her crutches. She seemed to have just given up and was crying softly. Shinji stomped over and roughly dragged Asuka to her feet and slipped her crutches under her arms. He then turned to go back to his room.

"Wait." Shinji turned around.

"I'm having problems getting in the bathroom with these crutches. Can you help me?" Her request sounded forced.

Shinji gently moved her into the bathroom and set her on the toilet. He turned around as she relieved herself, and then helped her back to her feet and she washed her hands and flushed. Shinji then walked her back to her room, but drew a sharp breath when Asuka brushed his taped ribs, which were tender.

"You alright?"

"Do I look alright?"

"All right. Bad question." Shinji set Asuka down on her bed in her room. They turned and looked at one another. Asuka motioned for Shinji to sit next to her. Against his better judgement, he did, with some difficulty.

"I-"

"I-"

They both said 'I'm not sorry' at the same time.

"You neither, huh?" Asuka asked.

"What's there to be sorry about? To say I am sorry implies I regret what I did. And that means I did'nt mean to do it. I did. All of it."

"At least you're honest. But I still think you're an asshole."

"I still think you're a bitch. But we can't fight like that again. That...was extreme, to say the least."

"Do you think that could ever change? You an asshole and me a bitch?"

"I don't know. I suppose anything's possible."

In the heat of the moment, Asuka kissed Shinji, and he quickly fell into it and returned her attention. After several minutes the pulled away and looked at one another.

"Your moves are'nt half bad. You don't hold back. I like that."

"I don't approve of hitting people with shoes, but you can back yourself up. I can respect that."

"So what now?"

Shinji got up and moved to the door. "Nothing's changed. Like she said, when all this is over, we settle this once and for all. Until then, we're the closest of comrades in battle."

"Then it's settled. Round Two, whenever this...is over. Be ready."

"I can hardly wait." Shinji stepped out, closing the door behind him.


End file.
